Dream Girl
by Joker is Poker with a J
Summary: People took advantage of her sweetness and then walked away when the toothache hit. Natalia Malakhov was somehow the storm and the calm that followed all at once. Jack Kelly thought he already had the only woman he couldn't live without in his daughter Hazel, until the Russian Ballet blew in. Now, he's not so sure he can withstand the storm and come out unchanged. Fifth in the BHS.
1. Chapter 1

~Dream Girl~

"… _I fall asleep whispering "I am safer alone I am safer alone I am safer alone I am safer alone" forgive me, all you have to do is frown and I become a suitcase. Forgive me, I leave first and call that a choice." – James, Clementine Von Radics_

Jack Kelly's life, like everyone's, began with a woman. In his case, Elizabeth Sullivan. A fine lady, his mother worked hard, kept a roof over his head, and food in his stomach. His parent's marriage was never based on love; his father was a drunken philanderer-often at Irving Hall-and the only moral thing the man ever did was make an honest woman out of Elizabeth. He taught Jack how to lie smoothly and how to not starve, but most importantly he taught Jack how to leave. James Sullivan, of course, didn't leave by choice. He got caught stealing, sent to the state penitentiary. But, when he was finally released, he stayed gone.

Jack's mother also taught him how to leave, the permanence of her death leaving a hole in his chest for many years as he used his street smarts to maneuver through the city, never quite grasping the concept of a family after only knowing the brokenness of his own. He didn't know what made a family, didn't understand why everyone wanted it or needed it, only knew that he didn't have it.

He tried to compensate, especially when he went to live at the Duane street Lodging House. The years spent with newsboys in similar situations gave him a taste of what a real family might be; the camaraderie and loyalty, the laughter and fighting. It was enough to get him through the tough, adolescent years. That, and the pamphlet in his pocket he'd found one day while walking home from selling. Santa Fe was a bright, hopeful beacon that he focused on when his stomach was empty and when the winter blew through his worn jacket. He thought of the warmth of Santa Fe, the green grass that stretched for miles, and the sky so big and blue.

But, then he met David.

David Jacobs was a character that was unlike anyone Jack had ever known and the exact opposite of who he was. Steady and level-headed, befriending him had never been the plan. His offer to sell with them had begun as a ploy to use Les to push more papes, but in the end, he ended up caring for the entire Jacobs' family more than he'd ever cared about himself. His focus, for a time, left Santa Fe.

And with David's friendship came the blossoming of his first real relationship with his sister Sarah. He was drawn to her because of her thick eyelashes, and her sweet nature. It helped, too, that he loved her family and adored being around them. The whole package, turning his life around as the strike drove their spirits high, the ensuing win only lifting Jack higher than he'd ever been.

He belonged somewhere. He fit. This was his family.

Except, it wasn't.

He knew it once the fall came, once the leaves fell and the holidays that everyone celebrated with family came around and he was suddenly worse off than he'd ever been. Instead of feeling included, he felt as though he was an outsider looking in. Yearning for what they had, but unable to grasp at it. Sarah was still sweet, but their summer romance began to die with the leaves and was soon buried in the cold snow of winter. Falling out of love with Sarah Jacobs happened so gradually, that Jack didn't even consciously know it was happening until too late. He wanted to see her less and less, avoided spending alone time with her, and it didn't help that David quit the newsboy business to finish school and start his apprenticeship at the Chelsea Hotel. He certainly didn't know how to tell her, how to watch her face as he broke things off and broke her heart.

He was losing his first love and his best friend in the matter of months, as well as a family that meant so much to him. It only brought home how temporary things were for Jack. He began to realize why his father left without ever a word. It was easier to disappear than confront them all and watch as he hurt them.

So, he took a page out of his father's book and went the coward's way out. But, before he could pull completely out of the family's life, he met Lily. The whirlwind of his feelings, the suddenness of their love, was a mere blink of an eye in the grand scheme of his life. He knew it was wrong of him to pursue another before breaking things off with Sarah, but Jack was young and selfish and only wanted to chase after things that made him feel alive. And when everything settled, the cheating, the fight, the rejection, Jack Kelly found himself watching New York shrink away from the window of a passenger train. Chicago was where his ticket would take him, but he was planning to go all the way to Santa Fe.

He had done his parents proud, leaving.

But, he wasn't his father. He didn't stay gone. Five years later, still in the Chicago because it reminded him too much of New York, and scared to head out West, Lily's mother sent him the letter with the truth-that he had a child that was soon to be an orphan in an unforgiving city, and Jack knew he had to get back. Knew it was time to grow up and do the right thing, because…because that was his family. The daughter he didn't know, that didn't know him, deserved more than to be another forgotten child in those cramped, dirty orphanages. She didn't deserve to be abandoned by all the people who loved her-by choice or by sickness.

Except he was in a bad place, unemployed, soon to be evicted, and broke.

It was his landlord's daughter who saved him. Sophie Thomas reached out to Racetrack to come collect Jack. It seemed his life would be defined by the women in it; his mother who died when he was young, Sarah his first love, Lily his first rejection, Sophie his savior, and Hazel…his family.

"Daddy?" Hazel's voice was soft in the dark apartment but it brought him out of his inner musings, and he shut the small journal in his hands and tucked it into his pocket along with the small pencil and turned to meet her steady gaze, her eyes the same ones he saw in the mirror. It was late, she had been put to bed an hour or so ago, but there she was awake and standing in the door of her bedroom in her nightgown.

"Yeah, Haz?" He had been contemplating the coat hooks on the wall, the dichotomy of his cowboy hat hanging next to her much smaller pink one, his large boots beside her tiny shoes below. This strange new life they had built together in the almost two years they lived here.

"I can't sleep." She crawled into his lap as she said the words, but yawned when she was settled and she snuggled against him like a housecat seeking attention.

He chuckled, wrapping his arms around her, "Is it cuz I'm not in there snoring?" When she looked up at him with that hero-worshiping gaze he'd only ever seen from Les, he felt like he was twenty feet tall and still leading the newsboys strike. A love for her stronger than anything he'd ever known cut through his entire being when he looked at her small face, the subtle similarities of his own features reflected at him paired pleasingly with Lily's. He liked the reminders of her, despite how things had ended between them.

When he left New York, he was sure that Lily was the closest to love he'd ever gotten. But, upon his return and through the stories of his friends as they each found their mates in life…he wasn't so sure anymore. Lily hadn't wanted to go with him, hadn't believed what they had was worth fighting for. How could that be love if you were unable to trust in your feelings for someone else? And a part of him was still resentful to her memory because she had never once written him to tell him about Hazel.

She had never planned to reveal his kid to him. If her and her mother's death hadn't forced Hazel to be brought into an orphanage, if her mother hadn't contacted Crutchy for his address and reached out to Jack, he would still be unaware that he had fathered a child.

Hazel's soft snores pulled him into reality once more and he squeezed her gently, thankful that things had worked out. If Lily had told him about her right after he left, or even a year after being in Chicago, he wasn't sure his younger self would have come back, anyway. It took years of making mistake after mistake in Chicago for him to grow up, the letter that reached him, that explained that everyone else had left Hazel for the afterlife, hit home. He, too, had been left by everyone.

What if…what if he stayed for someone?

The shift, the growth, the change of Jack Kelly didn't happen overnight. It happened with each second spent with Hazel, as her moods and personality intertwined with his own, their daily living situation becoming habit over the hours, days, months. Love was not one event that struck a chord and left you changed, it was becoming a habit of each other as everyday was shared and lived together. Hazel would never know her father as someone who left, someone whose presence was temporary.

There was no leaving here. Not anymore.

Slowly, he got up from the chair and carried her back into their room. He settled her into her bed and she made soft, unintelligible murmurs as she cuddled up to the brown teddy bear that was his first gift to her. He smiled down at her, his little girl, and was once again stunned by that overwhelming surge of love.

Yawning, he moved over to his cot and set about getting out of his work clothes and into his long johns. It was early October and already a slight draft chilled the streets of New York, winding through the apartment buildings. Last winter, he had gotten through thanks to Races' earnings, but this winter would be harder. It was already hard enough given that this apartment was nicer than a tenement house and Race easily afforded it with what he made at the Benjamin.

Jack, however, burned that bridge a long time ago. Now, he had to afford a nice apartment on whatever money he made at the factory and doing odd jobs for anyone who would pay him.

Or not pay him. He had agreed to help Racetrack, for free, with the incoming ballet troupe tomorrow morning and he really should have already been asleep. But, while he felt exhaustion from working long hours and six days a week, his brain just wouldn't shut off.

As much as he loved this new, happy life with Hazel, he felt a strange ache of something missing, just out of reach. He just didn't know what it was.

Hazel murmured in her sleep, something about a dog and 'bearbear', her name for the teddy bear. She rolled over and her soft snores filled the silence and he smiled at the familiarity. Vaguely, it reminded him of the bunkroom at the Lodging House, where all the boys shifted in their sleep and talked or snored through the night.

You were never alone there. He missed that when he was in Chicago.

But, he was back in the city that, much like Hazel, had snuck up on him. Taking comfort, he rolled over and felt his brain quiet down enough to let him fall asleep.

* * *

 _"I want to be remembered as the girl who always smiles even when her heart is broken, and the one that could always brighten your day even if she couldn't brighten her own."_

― Bette Midler

 ** _October 13th, 1907_**

Natalia stepped off the ship, inhaling the stench of New York City, but instead of bitching about it, like Sergei was doing, she treasured it. She could feel the smile pull at her lips as she absorbed the fast, kinetic energy that pulsed from the city as though it were alive. She loved cities. Paris had been breathtaking, London as well.

But, New York felt different. More promising, more welcoming than any city she had ever stepped foot in. It was younger than the previous cities she had been in and she could _feel_ it. Could feel its life force dance all around her and she wanted to dance with it. Nina had grown up in the countryside, but Natalia…she was raised in the center of Saint Petersburg, had been lulled to sleep from the cradle with the hollering and noises of people in compact spaces. The silence of the ocean and of the ship had not comforted her.

Not like living here would. She thrived on the energy of so many people living just moments from each other. She was so excited, in fact, that she was already pushing through the crowd to make it to one of the carriages lined up.

"Can I load your luggage, miss?" A voice to her right gave her pause and she stopped to look at the short, Italian man in the navy and white uniform. He held out his hand to take her luggage and she passed him a speculative look. "I work for the Benjamin Hotel." He clarified, holding his hands up as though surrendering under her scrutiny.

Biting her lip, she shrugged as she saw a few others wearing similar uniforms and loading luggage. She handed the trunk over and folded her arms as she watched him load it onto a carriage not far from where she stood. Once it was secure, she thanked him and watched as he ran off to speak to another worker but she was distracted by Nikolai as he stepped up beside her.

"Want to share a carriage?" He murmured to her in Russian, his eyes, one blue with a slight touch of brown, the other brown with a little touch of blue, casting back and forth with such mistrust she thought they were about to be attacked. That was just how Nikolai Kostova was, though. A very private, reclusive person who rarely talked to anyone in the company except for her.

Between him and Nina, she figured she just had the habit of attracting the lone wolfs of the ballet company. "Let me find Nina." She told him, ignoring his eye roll. Nina was not his favorite person, but she was Natalia's best friend and he had learned a long time ago that if he wanted to be her friend he had to at least tolerate Nina. Nikolai got into the carriage just as she spotted the brunette talking to the same man who had loaded her trunk.

"Nina! Over here!" She called and waved to her.

"Coming!" Nina called, leaving the man to head Natalia's way. When she reached the carriage, Natalia climbed in and then watched as her tall friend followed, albeit a lot more gracefully.

Although ballerinas of the short, compact variety were all the rage in Russia the last few decades, Nina had the height and litheness of the ballerinas from the romantic period. It made her stand out in the company, only Nikolai and Sergei were taller than her, and she grew up getting relentlessly teased by everyone but Natalia. Bullying was not something Natalia tolerated, so standing up for Nina had earned her the spot of best friend at a young age. But, Natalia would be lying if she said she never envied her friend, despite the fact that Nina did not often inspire loyalty in others.

Nina drew heads wherever she went, both men and women, and she wore her confidence like an armor. Not to mention she teased men and left them staring after her as though they'd just encountered a mythical creature; a siren calling men to their deaths. Nina controlled them like puppets and when they got to close, she cut their strings.

Natalia sighed as she watched Nina look out the window of the carriage, her blue eyes seemingly searching for someone. Turning to look out her own window, she caught a brief glimpse of a tall man, his pants five inches too short, loading a trunk on another carriage as a group of the younger ballerinas twittered nearby, pointing and whispering. He looked up as her carriage passed by and for the briefest moment, their eyes met. Natalia sighed wistfully as she took in his handsome face, the scar that cut down one cheek making him look thrilling and dangerous, but those brown eyes a warm contradiction.

It was a split second, their shared glance, but she felt a thrill of excitement. If this stranger was any indication of her time in New York City, she was already thrilled to dive in.

 **A/N: Credit for amazing summary goes to WordyAF. I guess we're just good at writing each other's summaries! Anyway, s** **ince Jack's story is happening at the same time as David's, I found myself writing their scenes and I couldn't wait to upload it. So, review and let me know what ya think!**

 **Truly,**

 **Joker is Poker with a J~**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 _Like the earth and moon_

 _I am covered_

 _with craters and scars._

 _That is not something_

 _I need to be saved from._

— _Clementine von Radics_

When they weren't in practice, Natalia went exploring in the city. She was not Nina, who planned and dreamed where she would go as she sat in her hotel room or practiced too hard, though Natalia had tried time and again to convince her to come out with her. Nina always refused, as though she wanted someone familiar with the city to show her the best spots rather than taking it all in, the good and the bad. Natalia didn't have time for that, she didn't wait for anyone or anything. Her mother had always told her she was a storm and if people wanted to keep up, they had to chase after her. Nikolai was the only one who cared to try and keep up, and she believed that was because he hated being cooped up in a hotel room.

"Where are we going?" He asked, as she weaved in and out of the crowd. Though her legs were shorter than his, she was excited to be in the middle of it all and her legs propelled her forward in quick, short steps. Nikolai loped just behind her, his eyes narrowed against the sunlight that streamed into the two different colored irises, his handsome face set into a scowl.

Her friend was tall, imposing, and always so surly she wondered that any man had the courage to approach her. Yet, she let him continue to tag along on her whirlwind adventures because despite how close he stuck to her side, anyone who looked at them could see he was not at all enamored by her. Which was a blessing to her because as handsome as the man was, he was the biggest grump she knew and when Natalia chose a man to settle down with, she wanted one much more fun and easy going. "You'll see!" She chirped, her eyes snagging on the sign that proclaimed 65th street. They had two more blocks to go.

The truth was she had heard about a popular art gallery on 67th street and she was eager to see it. James Graham Sons gallery was said to have some exquisite art on exhibit and as an amateur artist, Natalia loved to see others' skills and techniques. She had all her Sundays planned for the entire tour and today was this little Gallery. Next Sunday she was planning on going to the New York City Metropolitan Museum. The Met was a treasure trove of rare and beautiful objects-not just art. She was excited to go there, but she wanted to wait just a little bit longer, get to know the city better before she dove into the museum.

"Art." Nikolai said, his tone bored as he halted beside her in front of the gallery, a few paintings featured in the window catching her eye.

She sighed, "Art."

He let out a scoff, but stepped forward and held the door open for her to enter first, her eyes turning glassy as she looked around the canvases lined up on the walls, about a foot in between each one, a small title card below them. Some canvases were as tall as she was, but most were reasonably sized. She thought of her collection of small postcard-sized paintings tucked in the secret pocket in her trunk and she yearned to do bigger paintings.

But, bigger paintings meant others would see them and that she couldn't travel with them. She was not ready, yet, for others to look at her paintings. They were her very heart and soul on paper and the thought of others viewing them made her flushed and anxious just thinking about it.

She knew, as everyone else in the company knew, that she had a bad habit. That habit was men, and she was always too quick to trust them, to share the parts of herself with the ones she liked too soon and it always ended with them getting bored and leaving. So, when it came to her art she guarded her secret zealously, like a dragon hoards its treasures, and refused to let anyone else see it. No one, including Nikolai and Nina. They knew she loved art, paintings in particular but neither of them got to see hers.

All Natalia wanted was one thing another person couldn't take from her. And that was painting.

Spinning on her heel, she took in the art surrounding her before her eyes caught on one particular coloring of a painting and she shot towards it like a bullet. Nikolai stood back and let her go as she went from painting to painting, in no particular order, just as each one caught her eye. She oohed and awed at the colors created by the painters and the different ways they painted. Oil on canvas, panels, and boards, watercolors on canvas and gouache on paper. All of it pleased and enthralled her. The technique on one painting was familiar to her and she smiled as she recognized the artist. It was an oil painting on canvas of a picture gallery, a painting of paintings, and she giggled as she leaned closer to see the details of what looked like New York, or some other coastal city.

"Nikolai, come look at Walter's painting!" She called to her friend and he made his way over to peer at it over her head.

He eyed the painting as he did everything, mistrustfully, and she smiled as he nodded, "Did he tell you he sold one of his pieces to this gallery?" He asked.

She shook her head as she gazed at something familiar, taking comfort and missing Walter Gay and his wife, Matilda. She had met them while she was in Paris and she had eagerly learned what she could from him. They were a lovely couple, coming to her shows and having brunch with her, but they rarely left France and with each passing day that Natalia spent in New York, she was beginning to wonder if she would ever want to leave.

"I would buy this, you know. I would settle down in a small townhouse, hang it on a wall where the morning light cast the best light on it, and admire and miss Walt and Tilly." She told Nikolai, matter-of-factly, though they both know that she was extremely frugal with her money, so the chances of her buying a painting were slim.

He cast her a bored gaze, "I'll believe it when I see it." He murmured, his voice monotone.

She grinned, because she knew that if she had her own home, she'd cover every wall with her own artwork; even if every single piece was considered ugly by everyone in the entire world. She didn't get a chance to answer him, though as her eyes had already caught another painting and she was off to admire the red and orange autumn trees it depicted. They matched the ones she had seen when passing central park and she couldn't wait to try her hand on colors so vibrant.

It was nearly two hours later when Nikolai appeared by her elbow, "We should be going." He told her and she glanced towards the front of the gallery to see the light waning.

Her bottom lip stuck out as she pouted, but she sighed and let him take her elbow as she tried to look at everything before they left, "I know I saw every one of them, but some just need extra attention." She told him, as though he really cared.

The tall, Russian man grunted at her, but he glanced around one more time. "I guess."

At least her friend tried. She smiled up at him, "Next time we go out, you can pick the place."

A twinkle of mischief appeared unexpectedly at her words as they walked down the street, the setting sun casting a golden orange glow over the city that Natalia tried to commit to memory. "Alright." He murmured, "How about there? Tomorrow, after practice?" He inclined his head towards a building to their right, across the street. A painting of a red-haired woman in a lavender dress proclaimed it as Irving Hall, the signature theater for Medda Larkins, the Swedish Meadow Lark.

Natalia's eyebrows drew closer together as she took in the men that milled outside it, "Is that one of the vaudeville theaters?" She asked him, her voice low, "I've always wanted to go."

He looked pleased, "It's settled. Tomorrow, Irving Hall."

She bumped her hip against his leg, "Is it because of the red-head?"

They both turned their head to look at the redhead out in front of the hall. Nikolai shot her a rare grin that looked more predatory than amused. "You know how I feel about redheads, Nat."

Laughing, they continued down the street back to the Benjamin and he made sure she got back to her room. She closed the door behind her and called out for Nina, but when she didn't reply, she assumed she was still practicing. The woman was a perfectionist, which was probably why she was Prima and Natalia wasn't. Her life didn't revolve around dancing, had only tried out as a young girl to escape the poverty and crowdedness of her parent's small apartment. It got her out of Saint Petersburg and allowed her to travel the world, but she wasn't going to break her back trying to become the best. She was quite happy as a supporting cast member.

She ordered in and sat at the small table toying with different shades of red, yellow, and orange on a small postcard sized paper while she ate. She spent a lot of time with the other ballerinas but tonight felt like a stay-in evening. A moment of peace from everyone; the younger girls twittering gossip and rumors, Nikolai's snarky moodiness, and Nina's hardness that sometimes got to be too much for Natalia.

This bit of silence in her hotel room for her to play around with her painting was exactly what she needed until she felt tired.

Natalia yawned as she crawled into her bed, used to getting up early which made falling asleep early easy. She wasn't sure how long she slept, whether it was an hour or two, but when she woke it wasn't natural. Her stomach was flipping with nerves, as though alerting her to the strange displacement in her room. Someone was in her room. She froze up in the bed as she heard the person curse, a man by the sound of his deep voice. It sounded as though he wasn't far away, rifling through her dresser drawers.

For a moment, she could do nothing but lay there, too paralyzed with fear. But, she had to do something. She searched her mind for anything that would scare him as she grabbed her pillow and tossed it behind her, "GET OUTTA MY ROOM!" She yelled, as loud and as deep as possible. She wanted whoever broke in to think she was a man, a very large man, and she wanted them gone.

Her scream worked in startling the man and he bolted for the open window and the fire escape before she could get a good look at him. In a matter of a minute, the entire thing was over, he was gone, and she was jittery from the violation of a stranger being in her room as she slept. She quickly got up, her legs feeling like jelly from the fear that coursed through her, closed and locked the window, grabbed her wrapper, and then pulled three times on the service rope so she could alert the staff.

* * *

" _Every man has his secret sorrow which the world knows not; and often we call a man cold when he is only sad."_

 _-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow_

Sunday was Jack's favorite day because he didn't work at the factory and he got to spend the entire day with Hazel. He couldn't really afford to do a whole lot with her but he knew they both enjoyed just being together, wherever they decided to go. And in the evening, they always had Race and Clara's to go to for dinner.

Today, he'd taken her to Central Park with a book about birds that they'd taken out of the library last week. Sitting side by side on the bench, they went through the book looking to identify as many as they could-which wasn't a whole lot. New York in the fall was not the best place for bird watching.

"Wait, lemme guess. Another pigeon." Hazel said, her dry sarcasm making a surprised laugh come from his gut.

"Who taught ya all that sarcasm?" He asked, nudging her with his elbow. She was getting big, growing out of her clothes faster than he could save up to buy her new ones. Her coat was a tad small for the approaching winter, too, and he knew that if any opportunity arose to get a better job-he'd take it. No matter what it was. His daughter was going to be seven in February, and if she was going to continue growing like a weed, he needed to have the money to pay for new clothes.

She looked at him from the corner of her eye, their shade more green than brown today, as she answered his question, "Race, of course." Her tone was prim and matter-of-fact, for a moment reminding him of Lily.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her against him and ruffling her dark, blonde hair. Spun gold, it looked like to him, and he often told her if she'd let him shave her hair, they could make a fortune. But, Hazel was very protective of her hair, would never allow him to even trim it, which made the ends look jagged and frayed. Like he didn't take care of her properly.

Ignoring that thought, he smiled as she squealed at his show of affection, "Dad." She said, pushing the hand that was messing up her hair away, "Stoooop."

Chuckling, he smoothed her hair and let her go back to her book, watching her eyebrows pucker as she went over each page carefully. That was something he did, and he grinned at signs of himself in the kid. A kid that was a character all her own; cracking silly jokes she'd heard Race tell, or getting irritated when she was tired, and she was always trying to speak like a 'proper' lady. Yet, she didn't bother with it when it was just the two of them, and she didn't call any of his friends by any name except what he called them-their newsie names-which always made him laugh. There was just something about a little girl yelling at Racetrack Higgins that always brought tears of laughter to his eyes.

Especially one as fierce as his Hazel.

"Hey, Haz?" He asked, looking up at the overcast sky, "Whatya think about that bird, right up there?"

She followed his gaze and peered up through the branches at the small, grey and black bird. "I think I saw that one a few pages back…" She flipped hurriedly back in her book and then held it up to the bird and compared it, "That's a…Dark-eyed Junco."

He patted her shoulder, "Good job, love. Ya be a bettah reader than me in a few years."

Hazel beamed at his praise before she dug into his coat pocket to check his watch, "We gotta go." She closed it was a snap that said her word was final and he laughed as she pulled him to his feet. He dug his heels in on purpose just to tease her and she huffed as she pulled at his hand, "We'll be late!" She groused, dropping his hand to get behind him and push him forward.

"But, Haz, I wanted ta just stroll along…" He made his steps big, but slow and she gave a shriek of annoyance and bolted passed him, her tiny legs taking her a little too far ahead of him, "Hazel!" He called out and she halted, turning to look at him with both fists on her hips.

"What?" She asked, a tad snottily.

The little spitfire had him hiding his smile, amusement at her bratty behavior would not be a good parenting tactic he decided, as he forced himself to appear intimidating, "You are about six feet too far from me, young lady. Get back here."

"You come here." She shot back, standing her ground.

He scowled at that, not used to her acting out like this. "Imma count to three, Hazel Lillian Kelly. One…" Her hands fell from her hips at the first number, her gaze becoming weary, "Two…" As the second number left his mouth, she ran back to him, grabbing his hand and squeezing it.

"Alright." She mumbled, staring at the ground, abashed.

He knelt on the paved pathway where they stood and put his finger under her chin, "Hey, let's not let this ruin ouah day, awright?"

Hazel nodded, not quite meeting his eyes.

Lightly, he chucked her chin with his knuckles, "Haz?" He asked, trying to catch her eyes, "Ya know, if somethin's botherin' you, you can tell me. Anything."

When she did meet his eyes, her shoulders slumped, "I get…jittery. Thinkin' about getting places on time."

"You do?" He asked, surprised. "Would it make you feel better if we got to places earlier?" It was weird that a six-year-old got nervous about her time, but he didn't ever want her to feel like she couldn't tell him what was bothering her. Even if it sounded ridiculous to him, it obviously meant something to her.

Hazel looked relieved, "Yes, please." Her words were soft but she looked so much more relaxed having told him what it was that she was having trouble with.

Standing, he took her hand in his, "If we leave now, we'll be, ehhh, ten minutes early ta Race and Clara's. But…" He paused as she looked up at him, her eyebrows pinching in curiosity, "If I give you a piggy back ride, we'll be fifteen minutes early!"

That made her laugh, which was his favorite thing to make her do. He swung her easily up on his back and pawed the ground with one foot before taking off at a run. Their surroundings blurred all together as he wove through the crowds of people, Hazel's laughter ringing in his ears as he pretended to be her gallant steed.

It was something he never would have done when he was younger. Not in a million years, for any of the boys at the lodging house. Jack Kelly act silly to make a kid laugh? No, he would have stood up to a bully or acted tough or brave, but never silly.

Nothing made him realize how much he'd changed more than when he acted a complete fool for his kid.

 **A/N: Review if you like Jack being a horsey!**

 **Truly,**

 **Joker is Poker with a J~**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 _You shouldn't have come here, made of fireworks, if you didn't want me to play with fire._

― Iain S. Thomas

He had noticed her glancing at him for at least the first hour. After another half hour of watching other men come up to her just to be shot down, he threw caution to the wind and sidled up beside her. He sat in a chair not too far from where she was sitting with another man-a man who looked entirely too uninterested in her to be a husband or fiancé, he was guessing-and leaned on the back of the chair to say the words he'd been thinking all night, "Ya look too nice foah a place like this."

She was watching the dancers, but when her gaze strayed to him, he was surprised to see she had pretty, grey eyes. "You look too dangerous for a place like this." She told him, her Russian accent thick and accentuated.

He barely caught that quip, the music and crowd of hollering men so loud around them, "Do I?" he asked, scooting his chair closer to hers and stretching out his long legs in front of him. She turned to the side in her seat and rested her arm on the back of her chair to regard him with those large, beautiful eyes.

"Mmm, yes. But you know what?" She asked, leaning closer to him.

"What?" He couldn't help but lean in as well, everything about her somehow mesmerizing him.

Her full lips quirked up in a small smile, "I like danger." And then she pressed her lips against his and he sat there in utter surprise at her forwardness. Jack Kelly had chased his fair share of women, but none had ever made the first move.

"Want to come back to my place?" She asked, her voice breathy and low as he made his way down her neck. Time meant nothing to him and he wasn't sure how long they had been there, in the middle of Irving Hall, kissing. The woman had abandoned her chair for his lap and she clung to his shoulders with small, delicate hands as his own wandered up and down her torso.

"Mhm." He murmured, still running kisses down her neck. The night had taken an unexpected turn, but definitely what he needed right now. He only got one night a week away from Hazel, something he hadn't asked for, but that Mrs. Mclean had insisted on. Now, as the pretty blonde purred with soft moans, he thought perhaps he should get the older woman a very nice gift for watching his daughter.

She turned her head away to say something in Russian to the man she had come here with and Jack bit back a groan at the sexy, thick words rumbled in her throat. Gently, he sucked a spot that made her hiss with pleasure and he pressed his fingers into her hips to attempt to control himself. Her place was definitely too far for what he wanted to do right this second, so he grappled for some patience.

"Come on, big boy." She muttered, pulling him up from his chair and leading him out of the hall.

God, he hadn't realized how tiny she was, barely reaching his shoulder, but he didn't have time to think about that as she stopped to pull his head down for a deep kiss. He found himself pressing her against the closest wall and she pulled back and giggled, "What was your name again?"

"Is that important?" He asked, taking the opportunity to run his hand up her side to gently cup her breast through her blue-green silk gown.

Her eyelids grew heavy over her sparkling grey eyes and he wanted to groan as she didn't stop him from touching her. In fact, she leaned into him, slipping her arms around his neck to purr in his ear, "I only want to know the name to call out when we're in bed." And then she swirled her tongue around his ear before taking the lobe into her mouth.

Jack was in heaven and he groaned and pressed her against the wall harder, "Jack." He somehow managed to get out.

"Jack." She repeated, pulling away, "Let's get that carriage, Jack."

He wasted no time, pulling her through the crowded lobby and out onto the street where he hailed the first carriage he laid eyes on. "Where to?" The carriage driver called as Jack handed her in.

"The Benjamin Hotel." The blonde told him and he repeated it to the driver before he climbed in and then froze on the seat beside her as the carriage lurched forward and she leaned forward for a kiss.

"Hang on, the Benjamin?" He asked, putting his hand on her shoulder to stop her.

She pushed forward anyway, her lips trailing along his jaw as she replied, "Yes, that's where I'm staying."

"We can't go there." He said, without thinking.

The woman paused and pulled back, "Why not? Are you banned?" Her voice lilted up at the end, as if she were making a joke.

"Kinda." His mind raced, wondering why it was that the one woman he had picked up in ages had to be staying at the _one_ place he couldn't exactly go.

She blinked up at him, her grey eyes rounding, "Really?" She asked, "Do tell why."

He rubbed the back of his neck, kind of wishing for his old cowboy hat to fiddle with as he told her, "I cheated on the owner's sister."

Any other woman would have balked at his statement, but he pulled back in surprise as she laughed, her head tossing back as she chortled in amusement, "You _cheated_ on David's sister? Is that why he's such a stick in the mud?"

Jack shook his head, a smile pulling up the corner of his mouth, though it wasn't _really_ something he should laugh about, "Nah, David's always been a stick in the mud. That's just one stinky layer to that onion." He replied, smile widening as he made her laugh again. She had a beautiful laugh, her delicate hand coming up to cover her mouth as she did so, and for a moment he was mesmerized by her. He probably should have asked what her name was.

"That's just Nina's type." She told him, grey eyes dancing in amusement, "She used to like bad boys, would have definitely chosen you out of a crowd, but the last few years her tastes have changed to the fuddy duddy type."

He leaned forward and kissed her neck again, tantalized by the curve there, "I'm glad you picked me out of a crowd." He rumbled against it, not exactly caring what she was talking about or who this Nina was.

"Are you going to break the rules for me?" She sighed, tilting her head to give him better access.

His eyes were caught by the swell of her breasts all but spilling out of her gown and he made that his mouth's goal as he made an affirmative noise before adding, "The end of the world couldn't stop me, sweets."

And before he knew it, their carriage was stopping out front of the hotel and he had to prove to her that he meant it. Ducking his head down, he followed her quickly across the lobby, avoiding eye contact with any late-night workers, and then stepping on the elevator where she gave the bellboy her floor number and brought his head down for a kiss. He grinned against her lips, knowing she'd done it so the bellboy didn't look directly at him, and when the elevator dinged, she pushed him off first before tipping the young man.

"Right." She directed, pulling out her room key. Stopping at her door, she gazed up at him through thick, blonde eyelashes as a slow smile pulled along her lips, "I can't believe you broke the rules for me. What if you get caught?"

He shrugged, "Doesn't matter. Totally worth it." He leaned down to capture her lips once more and she reached behind her to turn the knob and in one quick step back, she had swept him into her hotel room.

* * *

"Time betrayed me once again,

saying it is right to fall in love

with someone during the night

when they will be gone

in the morning."

— Moon by ma.c.a

After Jack rolled off of her a long time later, they laid there breathing heavily and Natalia rolled over to cuddle up beside him, "That was…" She trailed off, unable to find a word to describe it. She was utterly sated, a relaxed glow humming throughout her whole body. She loved these moments, right after a great time with a sexy man, all tangled in each other's limbs.

"Life changing." He sighed, finishing her sentence before adding, "I can't remember sex ever being that great."

A smug, cat-got-the-mouse smile pulled across her lips and she picked her head up to meet those soft, brown eyes. "Yeah?" She asked, thinking she could get used to this particular man in her bed. Even if he was not her usual type. Not blonde, nor rich judging by the state of his clothes earlier-worn, ill-fitting clothes that were now strewn across her floor. He grinned and it made the scar down his face look a tad comical and she found herself reaching out to trace it, "So, Jack, how'd you get this scar?" She asked, lightly.

Jack reached over her for a pillow and used it to prop himself up a bit, but he wrapped his arms around her and continued to cradle her, "Slept with a married lady. Her husband left me it as a gift."

Natalia let out a low whistle, "Cheated on a lady and slept with a married one. What was I thinking, bringing you back here?"

He shook his head, "Nah, that's not me anymore. I'm a changed man."

"Oh, sure. It's not like I haven't heard that before." She teased. She didn't know why it was so easy to talk to Jack, had liked him the second she'd seen him across Irving Hall, having recognized him from that brief moment they'd made eye contact the day she got to New York. It felt like fate that she had merely glanced up at the Vaudeville show and instantly remembered that scarred, handsome face.

He chuckled, his laugh rumbling in his chest, echoing in her ear, "I'm serious. This comin' home with you is the first crazy thing I've done in a few years." His voice was deep, warm, and it lulled her.

"Well, I'm glad you did." She murmured, "Maybe we can do it again."

She felt him kiss her head, "Same time next week?"

"Mmm, sounds like a plan." She mumbled just as sleep took over.

Somewhere before dawn, he woke her up, "Sweets, I gotta get goin'." The deep, raspy New York accent brought her awake in a lovely way and she stretched her arm out for him.

"Don't go." Natalia whispered in the dark, although she knew he had to go. But, her instincts were telling her this would be the last time she'd see him, that he wouldn't show up next week like they had talked about. That's just what men did to girls like her.

He chuckled lowly and kissed her lightly, "I gotta. I'll see you next week." The words sounded like a promise, but Natalia watched him slip out of her room and she laid there, knowing it was all a lie.

But, she would still go in case this one was different, only she wouldn't let herself hope too much.

* * *

Leaving the Benjamin was easy, he took the stairs to avoid most of the workers and then slipped out an employee only door. His heart raced with the excitement of sneaking in and out, of the time spent with the woman whose name he hadn't thought to get, and he felt a strange lightness about him as he walked toward Mush and Vivian's home.

His mystery woman had been perfect, from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. Curvy, wild, and sensual, he couldn't remember any woman ever taking charge in or out of bed. Not even Martha, the married woman in Chicago, took charge like that and she had plenty of experience in the bedroom. She had nothing on Sweets, though, which is what he planned on calling her until he learned her real name. And he would learn her real name, he silently promised, because he'd be crazy to forget a woman like that.

None of his previous women had ever made him feel so alive, as though he just woke up from a long slumber. As if he was finally seeing the world as it really was.

He knocked on Mush's door and was surprised at how fast it was answered. Mush stood there, buttoning his work jacket and grinning as he took in Jack's clothes from yesterday, "Heya, Jack."

Mush had always been a morning person and it was usually irritating, but not today, "Hey, Mush. Is Hazel up?" He asked, grinning back at his old friend.

The surprise was blatant on Mush's face, used to the Jack that was cranky in the morning. "Yeah, come on in. I'm just getting ready foah work and the kids are eating." Jack stepped in, closing the door behind him as he looked around the small foyer, the house not terribly big, but roomy enough for the expanding family. He followed Mush to the kitchen, where Vivian was chatting with Mrs. Mclean and the kids sat eating bowls of oatmeal.

"Daddy!" Hazel exclaimed as soon as she saw him.

He came over and ruffled her hair, "Hey, kiddo. How was ya sleep ovah?"

She pulled her head away from his hand, "Good. Wes and I told ghost stories and colored and then we fell asleep…" She trailed off, as though exhaustion ruined other plans she had to play and have fun.

He chuckled as he sat beside her and took her spoon to dip in and steal a bite of her oatmeal. "Yeah? Sounds like a whole lot of fun. Finish ya food and I'll walk both of you to school."

Vivian smiled at him, her blonde hair reminding him of Sweets, but not nearly as pale, and he missed her. Despite the fact that he didn't know her name or anything about her, he missed her.

"Thank you, Jack." Vivian said, "Mush is running a tad late for work and school isn't exactly on my way to work."

He waved it away, "Least I could do. Thank you again for watching Hazel. It's been awhile since I was around actual adults." He grinned as Mush walked in and heard that.

"What am I?" Mush asked, a look of fake hurt crossing his face.

Jack stood and patted Mush on the back, "Same as me. We'se just playin' at adulthood."

That pulled a laugh out of the curly-headed man, who shook his head but agreed, "Yeah, I guess that's not too far off. I still buy more candy than I should."

Vivian rolled her eyes, "That's true and he buys them from my competitor."

"It's on the way home from work!" He defended, looking just a bit sheepish. "And you don't have those hard candies that taste like strawberries…" He trailed off, then dug his hand into his pocket and pulled the candy in question out and popped it into his mouth.

Vivian scowled, her blue eyes zeroing in on it, "I'll make them better and sell them to everyone but you." She threatened.

Jack grabbed the kids as they finished their oatmeal, realizing he started something and wanting to get out of there before it blew up in his face. Wesley and Hazel grabbed their coats and followed him as he and Mrs. Mclean ushered them out of the door. Nancy waved to them, smiling as they both blew her kisses, and then went to diffuse the bomb that was Vivian and Mush's argument.

"Whew, ya mothah's gotten testy with her pregnancy." Jack told Wesley.

Wesley nodded like a little grown up, "Don't I know it." He said, throwing Jack off guard and making him laugh. The school wasn't far and Jack made sure they went inside while dodging one of the teachers, Miss Daulby, who tended to flirt with him more than he was comfortable with.

After the kids were safely in school, he headed to the factory where he made it just in time to start work. Ten hours later, he left there feeling exhausted and rundown from everything.

Sophie always picked Hazel up from school and took her back to her and Carlos' apartment until he got off work, so he headed in that direction. His feet scuffed the ground as he practically dragged himself all the way there. Carlos wasn't there, having been working late every night since the break-in at David's hotel, so Sophie was chattier than normal.

"Carlos just opened his business two months ago and already he's swamped with jobs. But, his priority right now is the ballerinas." Sophie told him the second she opened the door. She ushered him in and handed him a bowl of soup, "So, I told him to look for a partner or someone he could send out on the easy jobs, but he's so distrustful of everyone." Sophie paused, looking at Jack thoughtfully as he all but chugged the soup. "You know, Jack, maybe we can solve Carlos' problem."

Before Jack could reply, Carlos came through the door looking just as exhausted, and scowling as he caught Jack and Hazel at the table, "Jack." He said, by way of greeting. To Hazel, he mussed her hair, knowing full well she hated it.

"Carlos." Sophie greeted, her whole face lighting up as she kissed him lightly, "Jack and I were just talking-" He snorted into his soup and gave her a look, but she continued on anyway, "He hates working in that factory, and you need someone to help you, someone you trust."

"Trust being the key word." Carlos told her, scooping a bowl of soup for himself and settling into the last chair, "And you did leave me for him."

It was Sophie's turn to scowl, "I did not _leave_ you _for_ him. He was the only person I knew. That I could trust." She strained that last word, "Just like you can trust him."

Carlos and Jack were by no means enemies, but there was that one sore spot between them and the fact that Carlos often worked closely with David. Yet, Sophie's talk brought to mind Jack's promise to take any opportunity to make better money than that damn factory job, so he sat back in his chair and looked at Carlos, "You could trust me, Carlos." He said, looking at Hazel as she sat at the table playing quietly with her paper doll.

A sardonic looked passed over Carlos' face, "And what would you bring to the table of my P.I. business, Kelly? Good looks?" He scoffed, "I got those. And the smarts to go with them."

Jack bristled at his snarky insult, "I'm smart too, Carlos, and ya fahget I grew up on these streets the same as you. There ain't no where in the city I can't go, and most of the low lives know ya sold out ta the bulls by now. I'm a face they don't know so well, somebody charismatic enough ta tawk my self into and out of situations."

A small glimmer of surprise and respect entered the Spaniards' blue eyes and he leaned back in his chair and took a long look at Jack. "Well, you got a point there, Jack." He finally said, "How about you come by the office tomorrow and we'll give this arrangement a probationary period of, let's say, a month. If you show me you're a good fit, we'll make it permanent."

He held out his hand and they shook on it, though Jack felt a strange sense of foreboding, as though it had been too easy to convince the man and that he had something up his sleeve.

 **A/N: I have up to chapter 5 written so if you want them, ya gotta review for 'em ;)**

 **Truly,**

 **Joker is Poker with a J~**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

" _The cigarettes you light one after another won't help you forget her."_

― Frank Sinatra

"Your first assignment." It was Wednesday morning and Carlos was waiting for Jack outside the building where his office was, a folder in his hand. He held it out, his face oddly blank as Jack took it and opened it up. All that was in there was a photograph and a short form with her first name and the reason a private investigator was needed.

Jack raised an eyebrow, "Beth. Husband believes she's cheatin' on him." He met Carlos' gaze, "That's it?"

Carlos shrugged nonchalantly, " _Sí, mi amigo._ Sometimes I start with less information than that."

It was a test, Jack could tell by the way Carlos used Spanish in front of him. He was testing his mettle on a case. "What kinda proof do I need?" He asked, wondering if Carlos would even tell him that much.

The Spaniard waved his hand in the air, "Whatever you can get. A name of the man she's having an affair with, an address where you know for a fact she's in there having sex with another man." He met Jack's eyes, "But if you send her husband into that address and she's playing poker with some women, you better believe we won't get paid and you'll be out of a job."

Jack sighed and rubbed his eyebrow as he studied the photograph. The woman's hair was a dark mass of curls, wild and untamed. Her eyes were light and seemed not to be focused on anything in particular. He tried to decide where to start first before he realized Carlos was just standing there watching him. "Alright." He said, decisively, nodding at the man, "See ya latah."

He almost thought about going to see one of the guys, but he thought it unlikely they would know this woman. Why didn't Carlos give him somewhere to start? All investigating couldn't be this broad and undefined. There had to be more to it than this measly folder.

Then, as if by fate, she walked right passed Jack.

Jack did a double take between the woman and the photograph, sure it was her and quickly he changed directions and began to follow her. As he watched her weave through the crowd, tapping a cane in front of her, he realized that she was blind. She was also dressed in trousers, which was strange, but since she was blind he was sure no one would comment about it to her face.

A strange feeling creeped into his gut. This lack of information, a blind woman to follow, it was all too easy. It was definitely a test. But, why with such an easy person? A blind woman, who couldn't possibly know she was being followed. Yet, for a blind woman, she moved quick, barreling down the street as though she wasn't blind and Jack watched as people jumped out of her way, dodging the cane she used and staring after her with mouths wide open.

She obviously didn't notice, or care, and she walked for a long time. She seemed to know exactly where she was headed and he followed her all the way to a bar in the Bronx.

A bar that was familiar to him. He'd been here the second day of being back in New York City, with Race when he'd gone to confront the gang leader that had kidnapped Scott's sister.

He paused across the street as she took the stairs into Keenan's bar, three men outside that she barked a few words to before she went inside. He missed the words that were said from where he was but whatever it was, it caused the men to all straighten and gaze up and down the street, looking for a threat.

It no longer felt like a test, this felt like a set-up. Why was a blind woman going to see a gang? Could she be sleeping with one of the men? Blink had told him the gang was being run by Barkers' daughter, perhaps she was visiting to talk with her?

Suddenly, the men were all looking at him and then they were headed his way. He put on a pleasant smile, not yet ready to run from his first assignment, and waited for them to reach him. They all arranged themselves with the shortest one up front, a skinny, medium-sized one in the middle, with a big, hulking wall of a man taking up the rear. The first two Jack thought he could take, but the big guy? Not likely.

"Can we help you?" The smaller of the three sneered up at Jack, the glimmer of brass knuckles on his right hand catching the late morning sun.

Jack relaxed his muscles and shrugged, "Don't suppose you guys know Beth there, huh?"

The skinny, greasy haired guy that was just behind the smaller one chuckled unpleasantly, "'Course we know Beth. Everyone here _knows_ Beth."

They all laughed lewdly and Jack shoved his hands in his pocket and laughed lightly with them. Which made them stop laughing and looked at him with narrowed eyes. The short one, the talker, sized Jack up, "You lookin' ta know Beth?" He asked, stepping into Jack's space.

Jack shrugged, looking over their shoulder at the bar across the way, "If you guys are lookin' ta introduce me." He said, nonchalantly.

"Lefty," The short one said to the middle one, "Let's show _Casanova_ here, inta see Beth." Lefty's laughter turned dark as the wall of a man narrowed his eye on Jack and grabbed him by the arm.

"Don't squirm." Lefty told Jack, "Finn here is rather protective of Beth. Best not make any sudden moves, he'll tear ya arm off."

Jack winced at the manhandling and he met the man's dark eyes and saw a glimmer of something in their depths that he couldn't quite identify before he was all but dragged into the bar that he had only ever been in once before.

They pulled him through the bar area, passed the tables and chairs that were empty, and then opened a door towards the back with steps to the basement. Lefty and the short guy chuckled and whispered behind him as the big man silently pulled him along.

A loud, feminine voice traveled up the steps and only grew louder as they got closer. Jack felt a strange feeling, like a noose tightening around his neck, as the large man dragged him across the basement and stopped right in front of the blind woman, where she perched on an elevated throne-like chair, her cane leaning against the arm. A startlingly familiar cane. Despite the danger that trickled down his spine, his eyes caught on it for a moment, taking in the detail of the golden tip and the ebony wood. The familiarity eased him just a touch because all though it was strange to see it in another's possession, it was funny to see it attracted the toughest people.

The man she had been scolding stood and moved out of the way as Finn brought him forward. "Beth." The man said, his voice more of a rumble than anything but with the slightest Irish lilt to it, "Ya stalker is here."

Somehow, Beth appeared regal as a Queen. "Well, well, well." She drawled, eyes narrowing, "Do you realize who you've been following, Mr. Kelly?"

Finn let go of his arm and stepped back, but the Bronx Gang closed in to watch, preventing any chance of escape. "I do now." He said, feeling less charismatic than he'd ever felt before. Had Carlos purposely set him up to get beat down by a gang? He knew there were reasons for Carlos not to like him, but to go this far felt entirely too extreme.

"Would you like to inform me as to _why_ you were following me?" Beth asked, her voice cold and controlled.

 _Think of something_ , his brain yelled, but he couldn't betray Carlos and he couldn't tell her the real reason he was sent on this crazy assignment. But, if he didn't think of anything, there was a very good chance he wasn't walking out of here alive and the thought of Hazel being abandoned a third time hurt too much for him to even dwell on. So, he straightened and tried to bullshit his way out, "Well, that's actually a funny story, Beth."

"It always is." She said, voice as dry as a desert.

He nodded, although he knew she couldn't see it, and continued on as if they were merely chatting about the weather, "Ya see, I'm a single fathah and my daughtah doesn't have a whole lot of female role models in her life. So, I was out foah a stroll when ya walked past me and I thought, my little girl could learn a thing or two from her." He tried to look embarrassed, tried to infuse it into his words as he added, "Imagine my luck that the woman I followed happened ta be the feared Bronx Gang leadah. I feel down right mortified I didn't realize it soonah."

Jack hid his surprise as she let out a cackle, "Tommy left the gang for this piece of work?" She called the words out in a specific direction, pointing it to her left, and to his utter amazement, Carlos strolled out of the depths of the dark basement and leaned leisurely against Beth's throne.

"He left for entirely different reasons, but he's a tad attached to Jack here." Carlos said, a slight smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. "Nice touch with the single father bit. That might have worked on Beth here." He added.

The Cowboy scowled, "Not really 'a bit'." He said, able to relax now that it was out that this was what he originally thought it to be, "So, did I pass ya test?"

Carlos appraised Jack silently for a few moments before Beth spoke, "You passed my test. I could do without the flattery, but if I heard that story without the knowledge I had, I'd be right impressed."

Finn sidled up beside her, "She's gotta soft spot for single dads." He told Jack, his gaze turning soft when he looked at her.

Carlos grinned, "Jack Kelly, meet Beth and Brendon Finnegan." He moved to Jack's side, "You passed the test. You're still on a probationary period, but I'm pleased with your choice of bullshit stories. Most people don't speak highly of your loyalty." His blue eyes sharpened like a knife as they clashed with Jack's gaze, "But, I'm going to expect complete allegiance and confidentiality about everything we do from here on out."

"Feel free to tell Tommy, though. He'll get a kick out of this." Beth butted in, a small smirk pulling up the corner of her mouth and Jack felt his own, answering grin.

She was right. Friday night, as they all stood in the lobby before taking their seats for the first show of _Les million de 'Arlequin_ , Jack recounted his first assignment to the whole group-minus David who had wandered off. Blink laughed so hard, he had tears coming down his eyes as Katy shook her head at his reaction.

"They didn't scare him nearly as much as I hoped." Carlos added when Jack had finished his story.

Blink, his face pressed to Mush's shoulder as he laughed, pulled away from his best friend and rubbed the tears from his face, "Still, ya gotta admit it was pretty funny." He then proceeded to mimic Jack's single father story to Beth in an over-dramatic manner, causing everyone to laugh and Jack to roll his eyes good-naturedly.

Until the lights dimmed to signal the show was about to start. Jack took Hazel's hand in his and followed everyone inside, him and Hazel sitting between Race and Blink. Just as the show was about to start, Jack caught David hurrying to take his seat beside Vivian, who whispered a question to him as he sat down beside her. He shushed her in David-fashion before they all turned to give the show their whole attention.

He had been thinking of Sweets all week, often her image stayed in the background of his thoughts particularly when he made her laugh in the carriage, and the way she looked sleeping in the light of the setting moon just before he woke her to tell her good bye. It had been hard to leave her even then, when they were little more than strangers. Now, even as he tried to forget her face and enjoy the show, he seemed to see her everywhere. Especially when the seventh scene of the play began and the Good Fairy came onto the stage.

Her blonde hair was pinned up, the make-up heavy and dramatic for the comedy combined with a mask that glittered with 'fairy dust' that was for her character alone. Jack sat up straight in his seat, his eyes zeroing in on the curve of her neck, on the shape of her body that he was intimately familiar with as she danced around the stage. It was Sweets, there was no doubt about it.

Quickly, he pulled the program out of his pocket and squinted in the dimness of the stage lights to make out the name of the ballerina playing the Good Fairy. _Natalia Malakhov_.

He knew that name. It was one Carlos had mentioned a few times, the ballerina whose room had been broken into. The Prima Ballerina's roommate, the best friend of the woman Sophie told Jack that David was clearly smitten with. He sat back and suddenly found himself mesmerized by her performance as she smiled and danced around, giving Harlequin the means to marry Columbine with her father's permission.

 _Natalia_.

* * *

" _Don't put your happiness in other people's hands.  
They'll drop it.  
They'll drop it every time."_

 _-_ C. Barzak

She had seen Jack. Of all the places to see him, she couldn't believe it had been in the lobby of their opening night performance. He had looked spectacular, too. His clothes weren't of the richest quality, but they were modest and fitting on him. He'd devastated her very senses when she caught sight of him, standing with a large group of other well-dressed individuals as they laughed uproariously before the show.

"C'mon, Talia." One of the younger girls' whispered to her. They had snuck out from back stage and were looking down on the lobby from two floors up, trying to see how big a crowd their opening night would be.

The show was sold out. The lobby was packed with people, but Natalia had instantly spied her scarred, handsome man. He was _so_ tall, dreamy, and debonair. Even next to men more refined. He flicked his hair from his eyes a few times, and teased the kids that were among their group. She hadn't suspected for a moment they were his kids.

Her happiness of him there carried her through the show. The dancing was more fun and exhilarating knowing that he was watching. She wondered if he'd recognize her through all of her makeup. She hoped so, because she wasn't sure if she had given him her name. Couldn't remember him calling her by anything other than 'sweets'.

With that in mind, she decided she would surprise him after the show. Maybe catch him before he left the theater.

After the red velvet curtain fell down, she slipped from the crowd of ballerinas to see the theater goers exit the auditorium, watching as they mingled in the lobby before heading out into the night air. She craned her neck to find Jack and his crowd, and she was sure one of the kids that had been in their group, a little girl, nearly ran into her before bolting off. Natalia followed her, stopping to thank people as they congratulated her on her performance.

She froze when she saw him, standing there with his back against the wall, talking to the little girl as she gazed up at him adoringly before she sat down in front of him to play with a boy around her age. Jack's attention was then caught by a lovely blonde woman, who leaned one shoulder against the wall and spoke soft words to him, making him smile as they both turned to gaze down at the children with such tender gazes.

All the air whooshed from Natalia's lungs, her gut dropping at the perfect family they made. The boy's dark, brown hair near the same shade as Jack's, as the little girl's golden hair matched her mother's. They were exquisite, perfect, and Natalia had probably wrecked it all.

She stumbled back a step before she turned and fled away from it all. She felt sick with hurt, grief, and guilt over seducing a _married man._ Self-hatred boiled in her veins as she pushed through the crowd, her mind slowly building into a rage at herself and him.

 _How could he?_ Biting the inside of her cheek, she forced herself hang onto the anger, the betrayal and hurt, until she made it to Nina's dressing room.

She stormed into the room, throwing the door shut behind her as she began to curse everyone and everything. Nina looked taken aback for a split second before she comprehended Natalia's angry rant.

"Did you sleep with another married man, Nat?" Her friend asked, gently. Her blue eyes filled with sympathy and pity. Natalia hated when she pitied her, but she didn't blame her. This wasn't the first time, unfortunately.

That realization zapped the angry from Natalia and an overwhelming sadness swam over her as her shoulders sagged and she looked bleakly at her friend and nodded.

Nina crossed the small space in barely a full step and wrapped her arms around Natalia, tall enough so that the blonde's face fit right in the crook of her neck. "What have I told you about wearing your heart on your sleeve?" Nina murmured to her.

A few tears escaped as Natalia realized she'd done it again, "Not to." She mumbled against her friend. "But, he wasn't my usual type. I thought he was different. He said he was different…" She trailed off, reaching the conclusion that she was an absolute idiot.

"That's what all men say." Nina told her, tone practical as she stroked Natalia's hair soothingly.

She didn't deserve to be comforted, she decided, and she pulled away to give Nina a sad, half-smile, "Maybe next time I won't fall for it."

Nina reached out and gently squeezed her arm, "Go, have fun at the cast party. I'm going to head home."

Natalia forced herself to grin as she glanced around at all of the flowers in the dressing room, "I'll have one of the Benjamin boys bring your flowers to the room. That way they don't clog up your dressing area."

She watched her friend look around in surprise at all of the flowers sent by admirers and well-wishers. After the surprise wore off, she looked annoyed as she replied, "Thanks…maybe tell them to keep them to decorate the lobby. Just collect the notes off the arrangements."

"Yes, m'am…" She paused and quickly hugged Nina one more time as she said, "You did great tonight."

Nina lightly squeezed Natalia and responded graciously, "Thank you, you were wonderful as well. The best Good Fairy ever."

They left the room together and Natalia watched as Nina continued out of the theater, turning in the direction of the carriages that would take her back to the hotel. They were quite the pair, the two of them. Nina was so closed off, rarely giving anything away and yet, she hoped someone would see her for who she was.

Natalia, on the other hand, gave too much of herself away to everyone until she was left alone and exhausted, wondering why no one stayed.

She crossed the stage to Nikolai, reaching out for his drink and downing it in one gulp. Maybe one day, they'd find a happy medium or they'd end up as old maids together. In either case, Natalia wanted to drink away the memory of Jack's face.

 **A/N: Thank yous and love to my reviewers, WordyAF, my guest (santafe?), and coveredinbees! I love you guys! And if you wanna see more of Beth, go read the Firewatcher's Daughter by WordyAF!**

 **Review and let me know what you think of this chapter!**

 **Truly,**

 **Joker is Poker with a J~**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 _I want to curl into the sweet expanse  
of your back. I want to wake up,  
make you coffee, make you laugh,  
make myself into the person  
who is worthy of you. You  
have been strong so much longer  
than I've been good._

 _-The Poet Drunk Dials,_ Clementine Von Radics

The day after he found out who his Sweets was, David paid a visit to the office. He looked up in time from his newspaper to see his old friend standing there, obviously stunned silent by Jack's presence in Carlos' office. It would have been comical to Jack any other time, but for some reason it wasn't today. For almost two years, they'd danced around each other, Jack always well aware of David's hostility. He usually gave the guy plenty of space, avoiding him rather than confronting it because if David wanted to hold onto old, toxic anger, than so be it. Jack was done with it all, did not want to hash old wrongs and beg for his forgiveness.

Especially not after Sarah showed up a little over a month ago and forgave him. She didn't despise him or blame him for his actions when he was young and stupid. She even told him she was glad, because only a few months after he left, she went into Harkins' bakery and fell in love. She was who he'd hurt most of all with his actions, it wasn't David he cheated on. If the guy wanted to hold grudges, it was his problem. Not Jack's.

So, Jack put his paper down and stood up, "Hey, Dave. What can I help ya with?"

"Uh, I'm here looking for Carlos..." David narrowed his cold eyes on Jack and then asked, point blank, "What are you doing here?"

He stuffed his hands into his pocket and tried to appear relaxed, "My new job. Just started on Wednesday."

His blatant surprise was surprising for Jack, as well, because their group of friends were not known for keeping secrets. The whole lot of them were incurable gossips, especially when it came to something as big as this. Jack working for Carlos meant a lot more opportunities for him and David to be thrown together. Which was probably one of the last things David wanted.

"What do you know about skip tracing?" The condemnation clear in his words causing Jack to raise an eyebrow as Carlos came in behind David and caught those words.

Jack bit back a grin as Carlos butted in, "He's not skip tracing." Carlos was not a fan of people questioning his decisions, so Jack new he was irritated despite his breezy words to David, "And right now he's on a probationary period." The cowboy felt a grin split across his face as the Spaniard defended him and sat back down as David turned his back to him. "You here about Malakhov?" Carlos asked David, leaning on his desk and sipping his coffee.

Sweets last name caught Jack's immediate interest and he tilted his head to listen better as David inclined his head towards the door, "Take a walk?" Clearly, unwilling to discuss his hotel shit in front of Jack. Jack hid a scowl, annoyed with David's continued cold shoulder and wondering how long he could keep that stick up his ass without getting a few splinters.

"Jack and I work cases together, now. We can talk in front of him." David missed the underlying warning in Carlos' tone, but Jack caught it. Carlos was an interesting man to work with and even though it'd only been a few days and they were still feeling each other out, Jack liked and respected him. He didn't take any shit, not even from David, who had become increasingly powerful in the years since opening his hotel.

"Fine. What did you find out last night?" David was crossing his arms and looking none too pleased with Jack presence, making Jack feel slightly better to be his perpetual irritant. Like a nice rash on his ass.

"Besides Natalia drinking too much and complaining about some guy who screwed her over, it was uneventful. However, of the male dancers, I think I have it narrowed down to two. Nikolai and Sergei. They are two of the principal male dancers and both kept close to her most of the night. Nikolai is unpleasant to just about everyone except Natalia, which could mean he's after Nina by friending her best friend. However, Sergei is the shallow, cocky type whose ego is easily bruised, so saying he's as pathetic as she says could have the effect on him our G.T. was going for to light a fire under him. In either case, I'm going to head out soon to keep an eye on them at practice."

Carlos had filled Jack in on the break-in, the crumpled note in the trash, but not about last night. Hearing that Natalia was drinking excessively over some guy hurt, though, and Jack had risen to stand nearby as Carlos discussed the night before. Part of him wished the Spaniard had asked him to tag along last night. At least break the night into two shifts so that Carlos didn't look as exhausted as he did.

"I met Sergei yesterday, he's definitely a suspect. My guts never wrong about guys like him." David's words pushed a few of Jack's buttons.

So, he couldn't help himself when he said, dryly, "Except foah me, right, Dave?"

That succeeded getting a nice jaw tick from David, but he ignored Jack as he told Carlos, "Tomorrow I'm taking Nina out to a few places so just keep watch on Natalia."

Jack already knew where this was going even before Carlos spoke, "I was actually going to take tomorrow off for a personal thing. Jack here was going to keep an eye on both of them." He looked to the Cowboy, "Now, you just have to worry about Miss Malakhov." Carlos had told him yesterday that he and Sophie were finally going to go get married on Sunday. He'd gotten the marriage license and all they needed was to sign it in front of a priest to make it official. Carlos wasn't big on airing out his personal details, but they had asked Race and Clara to come and be witnesses and he needed Jack to work in his place while he finally made an honest woman out of Sophie.

He nodded to Carlos as David's shoulders tensed, a few emotions crossing over his face before the hotelier turned and got in his face, "I want you to stay away from Nina, you hear me?"

Jack raised an eyebrow, unable to stop the taunt before it slipped out, "Gotta crush, Dave? Pretty shoah none of us evah saw ya with a girl, we was beginnin' ta wondah."

Before David could punch Jack like he so obviously wanted to, Carlos got in between them and glared at David as he pushed him a few steps back, "Settle you two." He bit out, "If anyone so much as touches Nina, they'll be dealing with me."

The possessive words suprised Jack as David turned on Carlos, "What is she to you, Fuentes? Last I checked, you had Sophie."

Carlos leaned back on his heels, "I know things about Nina even she doesn't know, David."

"Very mysterious." David scoffed, "But, the truth would be better." He stood there a moment, waiting for Carlos to reply before he stormed out.

Jack sighed and leaned against his desk, "Somethin' crawled up there a long time ago and died." He muttered to his partner.

"He's a control freak." Carlos replied.

Jack let out a huff of laughter, "And you ain't?"

Carlos rolled his eyes, but Jack's words gave him pause for a moment before he shook his head, "I'll be right back." And went out the door after David. Jack sighed, shaking his head. Carlos and David had a lot of similarities they didn't even realize. It made Jack wonder how long until Carlos got fed up with him. Luckily, Carlos didn't have a sister Jack could sleep with. That thought brought a dark chuckle to Jack and he moved over to Carlos' desk to pick up the folder on Natalia to study before tomorrow.

Sunday dawned bright and clear. Jack got up early and dropped Hazel off with Vivian and Mush since his other baby sitters were busy before heading towards the Benjamin Hotel. He was both excited to see Natalia and nervous. Hearing Carlos talk about her drinking opening night and complaining about 'some guy who screwed her over' got him re-thinking their night together. Had she used him as a rebound for that guy? Or had she met another guy right after him and _that_ guy had screwed her over? He couldn't wrap his mind around it and he was sure that there was a missing piece to this puzzle. But, he wasn't going to approach her about it today.

Today, he was working and that involved making sure she was safe if she left the hotel.

Which she did, about a half hour after David and Nina went out. He followed behind her a good twenty paces, but his heart thudded uncomfortably in his chest as he watched her stroll down the street all alone, as tiny as she was, in a plum coat and a dress the deep purple of twilight, her mass of blonde hair pinned tightly up. He had to continually remind himself he was on an assignment, but every time her hips rocked when she walked reminded him of Monday night and he had to bite back numerous low groans as images that were not appropriate came to mind.

Especially when he knew what was under all that silk and lace.

He also had to remind himself not to punch or glower threateningly at every male whose head turned as she walked by. Because, he really couldn't blame them. Not when he wanted to scoop her up and take her back to his place like some heathen.

Pushing his impure thoughts aside, he scanned the streets to make sure no one else was following her as she continued to walk with a purpose all the way to Fifth Avenue. For a moment, he expected her to go into one of the numerous stores that sold clothes or yards of material or shoes. Instead, she stopped in front of the Metropolitan Museum, gazing up at it with reverence in her eyes as she took in the long, stone building that wasn't as tall as most buildings but stretched a good half a block.

He gazed on in fascination as she hurried up the stairs, moving faster than he'd seen any woman in a corset and boots, and quickly purchased entry into the museum.

Jack purchased his own admission, but when he got inside and saw her gazing up at the very first piece of artwork he realized he'd gotten more for his money than he had expected.

He'd gotten a chance to see art admire art.

Slowly, leisurely, in a way that would have bored anyone else, she made her way through the first few rooms. Stopping in front of each piece and eyeing it with an attention to detail only an artist possessed, she inspected everything as though she were mentally capturing it, breaking it down while still admiring the piece as a whole.

After at least an hour of watching her, he could no long ignore the inspiration she struck in him. As he watched her, he pulled out his notepad and flipped it to a blank page, the words flowing from him so quickly that he barely lifted the pencil off the page.

Watching Natalia, her oval shaped faced tipped to the side and up to admire a scenic oil painting of a forest, he realized that he hadn't seen what true beauty was in years. A part of him was waking up, and it was all because of her.

* * *

 _Loving me will not be easy. It will be war. You will hold the gun and I will hand you the bullets. So breathe, and embrace the beauty of the massacre that lies ahead._

― R. M. Drake

She was gazing up at one of the most beautiful works of art she'd ever seen when she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Half-annoyed something distracted her from such beauty, she glanced over briefly before doing a double take.

Jack leaned against a wall to her right but slightly behind her. He was standing in a beam of sunlight that filtered in through one of the high windows, his head ducked down as he furiously scribbled something in a small notepad, the light bringing out strands of red and gold in his brunette hair. Conflicting emotions rattled around inside her stomach, as though suddenly rioting at the sight of him. She initially felt a jolt of excitement leap through her at him standing there, but it was quickly followed by a stab of red, hot anger. How _dare_ he show up, looking handsome and innocent. Like, he didn't have a wife and children, like Natalia would _ever_ tolerate being someone's mistress.

He looked up and her heart climbed into her throat.

They just stared at each other for a moment before she gave in to her fury, allowing it to take the lead and propel her towards him. He straightened, shutting his little paper pad and tucking it into his pocket before smoothing his face and looking like he was readying for a fight.

"How _dare_ you!" She said the exact words she'd been thinking as she neared him.

"Me? What did I do?" He asked.

Her mouth fell open, shock that he didn't know what he'd done making her speechless for a second. But, then her hand was shooting out and she was shoving him back a step, "You scoundrel!" She yelled, "Philanderer! What did you _do_?! How could you-" She cut herself off and let the swear words fall out of her mouth, the only thing saving other people's sensibilities was that it was all in Russian.

For some reason, Jack was laughing at her. As though her anger amused him and he had ensnared her wrists in his one hand so she couldn't push or hit him any longer. She tried to pull her hands free, but he tightened them as she continued to call him every awful thing she could think of. "Natalia, sweets, what did I do?" He asked, his expression still amused as he practically yelled over her swears and threats.

"Miss! Sir!" A rotund security officer was jogging over to them, interrupting her screaming match before she could inform Jack just what he'd done wrong. "Lower your voices, or _leave_." The man told them, his face a glower as he glanced around at the other guests of the museum, women looking on with their nose held high in the air, a few gentlemen smothering their laughter.

"C'mon." Jack murmured, pulling her away. She hadn't gotten very far in the museum and she didn't want to leave, but there was no way she could keep her voice down so she reluctantly let him lead her out.

"You will be reimbursing me the fee to get in." She told him, angry about his infidelity and now about leaving the Met.

He towed her in silence a few blocks away before he stopped and pulled her into an alley cluttered with days old garbage, newspapers, and broken crates. Finally, he released her hands, keeping his only centimeters from hers to make sure she wasn't going to hit him, before he took a few steps out of her reach and ran a hand through his chestnut hair, "Now, you can enlighten me. What I do? Why am I a 'philanderer'?"

Her hands balled into her fists, her body growing flush against her will as his rough, city drawl rolled over her. "I saw you opening night, with a group of people before the show." She told him, her breath still gasping from the yelling, from the hurried walk away from the Met, and from being so close to him when he smelled so good. "I went to see you after, and there you were with your wife and kids." She couldn't meet his eyes as she folded her arms tightly over her chest, trying to keep her heart from leaping towards him. "She's pretty and I'm stupid to think a man who has cheated before and been the other man wouldn't do the same shit to me."

"What did she look like?" There was no fight in his words, they were hollow, but when she looked up into his face she caught humor there once again.

Which only pissed her off, "It's not funny, Jack. I shouldn't have to describe your wife to you." She spit the words like acid, a bad taste in her mouth.

His next words came out as though he was exasperated with her, "I don't have a wife, Natalia." He paused as her brain tried to comprehend those words, wanting too much to believe him, "What I do have is a lot of friends with wives and girls. What'd she look like and I'll tell ya who she's married to."

"B-blonde. Blue eyes. Little boy and little girl. The girl had her blonde hair and the boy's hair was dark. You were standing beside her and she was leaning against the wall, facing you and the kids were on the floor in front of you two…" The description of the scene came out so fast, she could tell he was surprised by the detail. She felt a blush rise in her cheeks, "You guys look like you fit together."

He ran his hand through his hair, a nervous habit she was beginning to recognize, and then he met her eyes with those steady, brown eyes that held the tiniest flecks of moss green in them, "That's Vivian, she's married to Mush. He works at the Benjamin…Goes by Alex there."

She took a few steps back until she was pressed to the brick wall, "Oh, yes. I know Alex. I...didn't realize." Heat climbed up her neck and throat, realizing she'd been upset about nothing. Jack wasn't cheating on a wife, he didn't have kids, and he was here. In front of her and looking so good and so handsome. She pushed off the wall, wanting to kiss him senseless when he said one word that caused her to halt.

"But…"

His word brought her her eyebrows up, "But?" Her heart stuttered at the word. But were they having an affair behind Alex's back?

"That little girl, she's mine. Viv's not her mother." A spark of pride and love lit in his eyes as he claimed his child. It brought an ache to her chest, wishing someone would, for once, claim her like that.

"Oh." The word was out, the disappointment evident, though he said he didn't have a wife that didn't mean she had a chance. Just because he hadn't married the girl's mother, yet, didn't mean it wasn't in the works. How did you have a child with someone you didn't plan on marrying?

He stepped towards her, "No, sweets, it's not like that. Her mother died a couplah years ago. She's mine and I'm hers. We'se all we got."

Hope and something like jealousy warred within her. She was smitten with Jack, because of their night and because he was here, now, trying to explain things to her. But, there was this. A child. It wouldn't be just Jack she'd be getting to know, if he wanted to get to know her better. There was a whole other person their relationship could affect-not just the two of them. And if it didn't work out…?

"I…I need time to think this through." The words were out before she really realized that they were true. She moved to leave him there, but his arms shot out and caged her there against the wall.

"Natalia, look at me. Before…before you go think about this, I just. I gotta let ya know that I was gonna be there tomorrow night. I was looking forward to it all week." She shouldn't have made eye contact with him, should have slipped out from his arms and went on her way, but she didn't. She met his gaze and saw the truth but the thought of a child right now, at the very beginning of whatever this was, it was too much for her. She was twenty-four, she wasn't ready to take on a family.

All she wanted was one thing that was all hers.

Jack wasn't it, couldn't be it because he was someone else's. A little girl's whole world and what would that make Natalia if she entered it? The step-mother? Step-mothers were always awful and cruel. Natalia couldn't think of herself as that. She looked up at him and unconsciously licked her lips that tingled with wanting to kiss him. His gaze fell to them and he leaned his head down.

She let him kiss her because she was selfish and wanted one last kiss from a guy she wasn't sure she'd ever have. He tasted divine, as great a kisser as she remembered, but she forced herself to pull away, to break it off. "Give me some time to think." She gasped out, wishing she could give him a clearer answer.

"Same time tomorrow?" He whispered, brown eyes searching her face for some hope, some signal that she couldn't give him right now.

She shrugged, not meeting his eyes, as she slipped under his arm, out of the alley, and away from him. Tears threatened to fall but she bit them back and hurried back to the Benjamin Hotel, away from Jack and the art. Away from a future of possibilities.

 **A/N: Thank you to everyone reviewing! I've been so busy, I haven't had time to reply to each of you individually, but I really appreciate it. It means a lot when people take time to tell you how they are enjoying the story! Also, many thanks to those of you adding me to your follows and faves!**

 **Truly,**

 **Joker is Poker with a J~**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

" _There were once dying galaxies and crumbling moons under my skin,_

 _But then you touched me and brought my universe back to life."_ -D. Antoinette Foy

He watched her go, watched her walk away with their future that might never be and he felt a sharp stab of anxiety and despair over the thought that she might never give them a chance. He should be thankful, he reasoned, as he loped farther behind to ensure she got back to the hotel unharmed. Thankful she was ending it before it could begin, before the real pain of them ending occurred. If the thought of taking on both him and Hazel was something she needed to _think_ about, then that must be a sign that this wouldn't work out.

She had saved him heartache, in the long run.

Yet, even as he reasoned through that all, his heart jumped against his chest in her direction, as though a caged beast beating to get out. He was being denied the chance to see where this would lead, even if it did end; she was killing all of the happy moments they hadn't had, yet.

Natalia disappeared inside the Benjamin as dusk began to settle over the streets. He stood outside and watched it for a few moments, indecision staying his feet before impulse kicked in and he found himself running across the street, hurrying through the lobby, ignoring the man who yelled to him, and sidling onto the elevator before the worker could get him.

"Floor 14." He told the bellhop, who raised an eyebrow, but punched in the number and they road up in silence. Clearly, this bellhop was too new or didn't care that David's most bitter enemy was in his hotel, riding the elevator up to his lady's room.

But, the prima ballerina was not the woman Jack was interested in, as beautiful as she was. Natalia was who he wanted a _chance_ with, just one chance would be enough, so he could know what it was like to wake up beside her, to know her moods, and to see her in every possible light. If he gave her time to think without listening to what he had to say, he knew he'd never see her again.

The elevator door opened and he moved quickly to her door, his fist knocking before his feet got there, "Natalia!" He called out, "Natalia, give me one second of your time!"

No answer, not even a sound of movement. Panic set in at the thought that she hadn't gotten here, that she could be in danger, and he stood there paralyzed with a strange fear he didn't understand. He literally could not think of how to find her or who to go to with the possibility she was hurt or kidnapped.

The elevator dinged and Jack looked up, expecting hotel staff or David, but it was Natalia and the man she had been at Irving Hall with when they met. His arm was around her shoulder possessively, and she was wiping tears away with a hankie that matched his button-down under shirt.

"Tha-thanks again. For dealing with my mess…" She was saying right before the man saw Jack and tensed, stopping them in the hallway about six feet from Jack.

"Natalia." Jack said, stepping towards them, catching the man's arm tighten along her shoulder as her head rose up at his voice.

"Jack? What are you doing here?" She asked, "I told you I needed to think."

He regarded the other man before he turned back to hold her watery, gray gaze steadily as he answered her, "If I give ya time ta think, you'll come up with reasons not ta give me a chance. I know I gotta kid, it seems terrifying at first, I know. I been there, but just give us a chance and I swear, we're not as scary as we sound." He shrugged in the pregnant silence that followed his words, "She's actually sort of cute when she's not buggin' me to be on time foah everything."

That brought a small smile to her lips and a small twinkle to her eye but just as she would have replied, the elevator dinged open for a third time and David and Nina stepped off. Both looked happy, Nina was laughing, but they both stopped as they took in the other guests in the hallway.

"Nikolai? Natalia?" Nina asked at the same time as David said, "Jack?"

Nina, who Jack realized was the ballerina whose trunk he saved, looked at him with a coldness that was chilling. He thrust his hands in his pockets awkwardly, unsure how to proceed when it looked as if everyone wanted to beat the shit out of him. "Uh, I was just leavin'." He searched for Natalia's eyes and was surprised by the way she was gazing at him, a softness there that few ever turned in his direction. Without another word, he stepped around the group and headed for the elevator, part of him shocked David hadn't shouted for security and taken him out for stepping foot in his precious hotel.

He was almost out the front door when a voice called out his name and he paused to look back at David Jacobs who, for some ungodly reason, followed him down. David stopped in the middle of his grand lobby, hesitating for a second, before he inclined his head to the right, "Let's grab a drink."

Jack looked around, expecting rivers of blood to ring in the end of the world before he followed on David's heels into the restaurant. The open room had dozens of tables, a few booths along the wall, and immediately to the right when you walked in, a bar. There were a few guests scattered throughout and only three waiters on staff, one of which was Skittery. Jack felt a little better seeing a familiar face and they shared a look of confusion and a shoulder shrug as David took a seat at the bar and waved for Jack to sit beside him. As soon as Jack sat, he watched Skittery head for the kitchens.

David scowled as he saw Skittery, but once the ex-newsie disappeared behind the swinging doors, David turned his attention back to Jack. "Whiskey?" He asked.

Jack shrugged, "Whatevah ya like, Dave." He was too focused on the fact that David Jacobs, the man who despised him and barely tolerated his presence even in the best of circumstances, just invited him to get a drink. In his bar, in his hotel, where Jack was publicly banned from. What changed since yesterday, when David was getting into his face and threatening him?

"Felix. Two whiskey neats." David told the older bartender, whose brown, curled-like-a-villain's handlebar mustache twitched as he nodded at his boss and expertly poured them each a glass of a whiskey that looked more expensive than Jack's entire life earnings.

Jack found himself looking at David as Carlos liked to view people. Taking him in, one feature at a time; the curly, brown hair cut short and simple, the close set blue eyes that weren't as frigid tonight as they usually were, and the long, straight nose. All of these things added up to the face of a man that Jack didn't know anymore, a man he never really understood at all, and to a man who'd made more of himself in the eight years since their fight than Jack thought he ever could. Which brought a bitter smile to his mouth as he remembered that _he_ had been the leader of the strike, the boy who stood up to Pulitzer, the one who won.

Yet, all of that was because of the man beside him and once he was out of David's life, look at how he'd flourished. When Jack thought about it, perhaps he held David back from being the leader of the strike. Or perhaps David needed to grow up a little to discover what he was capable of.

They raised their glasses to each other, out of habit, and Jack smirked, "What's the occasion?"

David's eyes glimmered with a humor Jack didn't think he had, "Let's just drink." David said, clinking his glass to Jack's and downing the amber liquid in one gulp.

"I'll drink to that." Jack muttered, following his old friend's lead and downing his own glass. The smooth liquor burned all the way down, but it was comforting and filled him with an immediate wave of warmth.

David motioned to Felix for a refill before he turned partway on his bar stool and contemplated Jack. Jack cocked an eyebrow as he waited for him to say something.

"I'm glad you stopped wearing that cowboy hat." David said, sipping at the new glass of whiskey that was set in front of them, "It always looked a bit ridiculous."

Jack snorted as he brought his own glass to his lips. "Thanks, Dave." He said, sarcastically.

They sat there in silence for a few minutes, each digesting the situation unfolding between them, and Jack glanced around to see Skittery bussing a nearby table. Jack got the feeling he was attempting to eavesdrop and he felt a smile tug at his lips as he looked towards the kitchens and caught Blink and Katherine peeking out of the door. They quickly pulled back into the kitchen when they caught Jack looking, and he chuckled. "Well, Dave, our drinking caught people's interest." He commented, turning back to look at the hotelier.

David was loosening his tie, his jacket was discarded on the stool beside him, and he was rolling up his shirt sleeves. For a moment, Jack felt as though David was getting ready to punch him. Instead, David rolled his eyes sardonically, "Our friends wouldn't be themselves if they weren't butting into everyone elses' business."

Jack nodded, "Yeah, like when you butted into Blink's business."

The blue-eyed man rolled his eyes as he picked up his glass and swirled it, "That's different. Blink needed help." He paused, "and didn't you go with Race to pay off Scott's debt?"

The Cowboy chuckled, "He needed some muscle." David guffawed, surprising Jack and causing him to scowl at the dramatic reaction to his words, "I can fight. Beat you, didn't I?"

David shook his head, "Hardly a fair fight when I was sleep deprived and angry."

Jack couldn't suppress the look he gave him, one that was equal parts sardonic and as though David were mad, "Yeah, because well-slept and happy David woulda been a bettah fightah."

"Want a re-match?" David countered, a glint of something wild and angry entering his eyes as he challenged Jack.

Never one to ignore a challenge, Jack stood up, "Awright, Jacobs. If ya wanna take out ya years of anger over something that had nothin' ta do with you, let's take it outside."

David stood, too, getting into Jack's space as he had the day before, and he glared ice chip eyes at him, "Nothing to do with me, Jack? You think it had _nothing_ to do with me? You were my best friend. And you betrayed _me_."

Jack ran a hand through his hair, huffing at David's words as he digested them and he felt furious at himself. "It wasn't about you, Dave." He said, realizing that wasn't enough, that it was, in fact, about David. He was so incredibly stupid not to see it up until this point-that David needed to spell it out to him. He was that selfish, that idiotic, that he didn't understand the full depth of David's anger for him until this very moment. "But, I guess…" He sighed, his shoulders sagging as he shoved his hands into his pockets-his number one nervous habit. "I guess, I didn't realize bein' so selfish, doin' what I did ta Sarah, was gonna make you feel that way."

David folded his arms over his chest, a tic starting in his jaw before he spoke, "Really? I just can't understand you. If your best friend cheated on your sister, you wouldn't feel betrayed?"

"Hey, haven't we established I'm not the smartest, Dave? Ya really need to dig the salt in the wound? Dumb emough ta risk comin' inta your hotel to beg some woman to give me a chance when she clearly's not interested in me or my kid." Jack's words were filled with his irritation and it seemed to bring the steam out of David.

"Skittery." David suddenly said, making Jack raise his brows and follow David's gaze to where the brown-haired man leaned against the wall, eating a danish from brunch and watching them curiously as he kept an eye on his tables. "That man over there needs a refill on his water." The annoyance in his words wasn't enough to get Skittery moving. He raised an eyebrow at David, polished off his danish and then moved to grab the pitcher of water to go refill the glass at turtle-speed.

Jack chuckled, "I can't believe you hired Skittery, of all people." At once, they both moved to resume their seats, neither acknowledging the fact that they didn't go duke it out in the alley.

David's lips pursed, "I hired him temporarily, at first. Just for the busier nights. But, somehow, Blink convinced me to hire him permanently." He scowled down at his glass of whiskey, "He purposely comes in looking a mess, never brushes his hair, and moves at a snails' pace. It drives me crazy."

"Ya know, if you don't react to any of it, he'll lose interest. He just likes pushing peoples' buttons. Kloppman had that sign up about no girls directed at him and Blink and ya know he never paid any attention to it." Jack pointed out, trying not to laugh. He was sure that would piss off David and it seemed like they were just making a bit of progress.

The look David passed him was one of condescension, "Yes, let's let the employees dress however they please, act however they want. That will drive my customers away. I need him to fall in line with the rest of the wait staff."

Jack shook his head, marveling at his friend. David was a smart business man, clearly, but he did not know people as well as he thought. The more he tried to push rules onto Skittery, the more the man would rebel. Jack knew that from living with the guy for years at the Lodging House. If something annoyed you, Skittery was sure to find out what it was and relentlessly torture you with it. He didn't like rules and he didn't like people telling him what to do.

"So, how'd you meet Natalia?" David asked, eyebrows pinching together as he tried to reason how they could have met.

He sighed, finishing his glass and setting it back down. "She seduced me last week."

David ordered them another round, "She seduced you and you want a second chance?"

Running his hand through his hair, Jack tried to find the words to explain to David why he felt he needed another chance with her. "Yeah. But, she ain't gonna give me one. Kids are baggage." He felt a sigh, this one more forlorn as the whiskey worked into his empty stomach, "There was somethin' about her, Dave. Ya evah meet a girl that lights ya insides up?" He felt silly saying the words, but at the same time he felt relief for finally having someone he could talk to about it.

It was strange that someone was David Jacobs.

David was nodding at his words, his blue eyes hooding a bit as he started smiling, "Yeah, I can relate." He said, as he finished his third glass and waved to Felix for another. "You felt dead inside until she came around."

"Yeah…hey, you're not tawkin' about Natalia are you?" Jack asked, surprised how quickly alcohol worked when you hadn't eaten. But, he found he didn't really care, just enjoyed the warm, carefree feeling it brought on.

The hotelier laughed, like Jack just made the funniest joke, "Oh, no. Nina. Nina Telephona…no, Teleshova."

Jack nodded, remembering slowly that they had went out today…today, earlier, when he stood in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and watched beautiful Natalia gaze at paintings as though she could learn all the secrets of the universe from them.

"I…kinda missed this, Jack." David said, out of the blue. He wasn't grinning, but he had on that almost smile he wore a lot during the strike, as though he were amused but he didn't want anyone to know it.

"Me too." Jack murmured. It had been years since he felt this close kinship with anyone, even Race, but he remembered it from the early days of their friendship. When they'd run from Schneider, hid out in Meddas, and later that night when Les had sung 'Lovey Dovey Baby' in his sleep. Jack laughed, "Les singing Lovey Dovey Baby in his sleep." He didn't have to say any more than that, David already knew what he was talking about and he started laughing, too.

Felix poured them their fifth glass as David's chuckle died away and instead he began to hum the song and Jack sang along, "I used to be your tootsie-wootsie."

"Then you said toodley-too." David joined in, his voice off key and they cracked up for a moment before beginning the next stanza together, about the hanky-panky, and that was when Blink and Skittery came out to break up their reunion because apparently singing vaudeville songs in a high-class family restaurant was _not_ appropriate.

Jack and David leaned against each other as Skittery and Blink hustled them into the back office. "David, I expected better of you. Making a drunkin' racket in my restaurant…" Blink said, shaking his head and enjoying his gentle reprimanding of his usually stiff and uptight boss. "I'm going ta have to appease that poor family with free dinner. Those kids is scarred."

"Totally worth it." Skittery muttered, as Katy came in with both their drinks that she'd saved from the bar and handed them over. "Drink up, Dave. Loosen up." Skittery encouraged.

"Subtle, Skit." Jack retorted, as he and David both threw back the rest of their drinks, as though they'd planned it. They laughed together as Blink, Katy, and Skittery stood in front of them and stared.

"I don't think Mush or Race would believe us if we told 'em about this." Blink stage-whispered to Skittery.

 **A/N: Love and dedication to WordyAF, who I'm pretty sure was the entire inspiration for this chapter. We've been talking about it since Blink's story-before David's was even really all thought out (ha, like it's all thought out now) and yes, you WILL get this chapter in David's story in his POV.**

 **Thank you to all who reviewed and please let me know if this chapter cracked you up as much as it made me laugh while writing it.**

 **Truly,**

 **Joker is Poker with a J~**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

" _Some girls are full of heartache and poetry and those are the kind of girls who try to save wolves instead of running away from them."_

-Nikita Gill

"Thank you, Nikolai. I'll take it from here." Nina murmured to the Russian man as she slid an arm around Natalia's shoulders. Natalia was standing there, staring at the elevators as though he'd come back.

But, she knew he wouldn't. She might have pushed him away, as Nina did most men, and she wondered if doing so made her friend satisfied. If keeping people at a distance made her feel safer, more in control.

Natalia felt none of that. She felt loss like a sharp dagger to her heart. She let Nina propel her towards their room, dazed by the fact that, for once, a man ran after her. Basically begged her for a second chance, to get to know him and his kid. He understood the fear she faced at the prospect of being responsible for a little life, but didn't most people? Weren't new mothers terrified with the idea of being pregnant while simultaneously being happy?

Of course, they were given nine months to get used to the idea, not less than twenty four hours. And it wasn't like her and Jack were getting _married_. They were just…giving them a chance. "Nina?" She asked, looking for advice from a source she wasn't entirely sure of. But, when she looked her friend full in the face, she was surprised to see the open concern, the flush of her cheeks that said her date went well, and a lightness to her deep, sapphire blue eyes that hadn't been there for a long time. "You had a good time with David?" She inquired, instead of settling all her problems on her friend. She did want to hear all about Nina's day.

For a second, Nina seemed to forget about Natalia's blotchy cheeks and tear-filled eyes as they sat on the sitting room's couch, her gaze going dreamy as she reflected on her day, "Oh, Natalia, it was absolutely wonderful. Unlike anything I've ever experienced. You know when you go to dinner with a man and he makes these ridiculous innuendos throughout the whole night and you never really get to talk li-like human beings?" She was so excited, she stumbled over her words and the bubbling happiness in her usually cold friend brought a huge smile across Natalia's face. Nina continued on, her rambling endearing, "It was nothing like that! We talked about his friends, what I would do once I leave the company and my mother's letters. He talked to me like I was his best friend." She sighed, "We danced and kissed. David Jacobs is much more than I originally thought."

Natalia sat back and studied her friend, realizing that their roles, for once, were reversed. Nina was embracing a man for the first time with the wild abandon that Natalia was famed for and here she was pushing a handsome man away who made it very clear he was interested. And the fact that Nina talked to David about her mother's letters-a subject she barely spoke about with Natalia-seemed to change the dynamic of this entire situation.

David Jacobs was in a tenuous position, poised to capture the heart of her ice-maiden best friend.

"I'm happy you had such a good time." She told Nina, honestly. Seeing her so excited about a man was rare. Natalia only saw it one other time and things ended so badly…she hadn't been sure Nina would ever recover.

Yet, here they were. "What was going on in the hallway, Natalia?" Nina asked, turning back to look her full in the face.

Now, it was her turn to confess, "I…I met Jack at Irving Hall last week. We agreed to meet up tomorrow, but I saw him at the premier show and I." She gave a frustrated sigh, "You know me, Nina, I jump to these ridiculous conclusions. I thought he was married and I was so angry. But, then we ran into each other at the Met today and he told me he wasn't married, but that he had a kid and I sort of ran off. He followed me back here and…well, here we are."

Nina regarded her with those perceptive dark, blue eyes, "So, he's not married and he wants to see you?" She finally asked, her brow furrowing.

Natalia dipped her head, "I know! I sound crazy!"

Her friend shook her mane of mahogany hair, "No, this is just…unlike you." She put a slim hand on Natalia's arm, "I don't mean anything by it! You just seem to be acting like…well, me." The corner of her mouth hooked up in a sheepish, half grin.

"I see the irony of our situation, Neen."

Nina smiled softly, "Let's both give it a chance. See where it goes. If it goes to crap, we'll leave with the company and become old maids in Paris. Drink wine, dance and paint."

"That sounds like a great backup plan. Maybe we should skip the heartache and do just that?" Natalia asked, cheekily.

Nina laughed, "As tempting as that sounds…" She sighed wistfully, her gaze getting that dreamy-like look to it, "I have too good of a feeling about David to leave it at this."

Natalia smiled, "I get it. I think I sort of have that with Jack. But, it's more scary than good."

Her friend wrapped an arm once more around her shoulders and hugged her to her side, "A great ship needs deep waters. Whoever fell in love by playing it safe?"

The blonde leaned her head against the tall woman's shoulder, not inclined to make a comment about playing it safe because they were both well aware that was how Nina always played the game before now, but she felt a bloom of hope. It was enough, she was going to give Jack a chance. A sizzle of anticipation shot up her spine, the excitement for tomorrow growing the more she thought about it.

They decided to stay in, ordering a bottle of wine and room service, eating on pillows by the fireplace and catching up on each other's lives. Despite the fact that they shared a room together, the suite was big enough for them to sometimes miss each other. Especially when Nina practiced too late or Natalia went out with Nikolai. They drank too much wine and Nina laughed so hard she choked on a sip as Natalia told her about one of the younger girls, Katra, playing pranks on some of the hotel staff.

Laughing, Natalia outlined how Katra gathered various articles of men and women's clothes from the theater's costume department and sent it down the hotel's service shaft-a shaft usually used for dirty dishes from room service carts. Katra then watched as the workers looked for the couple supposedly shedding the clothes but none was ever found. They'd looked for _hours_.

"Oh my gosh." Nina gasped, wiping away a few tears, "David must have been furious. When was this?"

Natalia shrugged, licking the chocolate mousse that she'd gotten every night from her spoon, "Like, the first week here. She's been thinking up a few other pranks, but right now she's trying to sneak behind the front desk when no one is there and move things around."

Nina grabbed a peach from the basket of fruit David gave her and smelled it before biting into it. She ate ten times more fruit than any of the other dancers and Natalia looked down at her mousse with a touch of shame. She should eat more fruit but chocolate was just so delicious.

Not too long later, they called it a night, the wine making them both relaxed and ready for bed. Natalia grabbed the pillow she'd stashed in the closet, but Jack's scent was nearly gone from it. She'd taken great pains in hiding it from the staff, scared they'd wash his scent away from it like they did the sheets, but they hadn't gotten to it. She climbed under the sheets, hugging the pillow to her chest and attempting to get sleep, but every little noise disrupted it. She hadn't had a peaceful night's rest since the break in, the only exception was her night with Jack.

She tossed and turned until they had to get up for practice and then she did her best to stay focused on her role as the good fairy, but it was tough to do when all she wanted was to jump ahead to tonight.

To Jack.

Luckily, she wasn't the only dancer preoccupied. Nina was floating on a cloud from her date with David, Sergei was strangely quiet and his moves mechanical and he kept flinching when Nikolai was near him. Which wasn't often, given that Nikolai played the role of Nina's father, but it was enough to take notice. During a break, Natalia ignored the griping of the director to cross over to Nikolai. "What's with Sergei?" She looked up at the tall man, who shrugged absentmindedly as he took a sip of water.

"Who knows with him?" Nikolai asked rhetorically.

Natalia let her head fall to the side as she regarded him, "Want to go with me to Irving Hall again tonight?"

He quirked a dark eyebrow, "Giving him another chance?"

It was her turn to shrug, her eyes looking over the company of ballerinas in various stages of stretching, talking, or practicing a few quick steps. Nina was across the room, one long leg up on the barre as she stretched, her finely boned face contemplative.

"I'll go with you. But, you say the word and I'll get you out of there."

Her lips quirked at his inane threat. Nikolai was strong, grew up in a family of men so masculine they all disowned him the minute he joined the company, but he was a sweetheart under all that bluster. He couldn't hurt a fly, only acted tough because he'd grown up believing he had to do so. "Sure, Nikolai." She winked up at him and he scowled at her, as though annoyed she didn't believe him.

Yet, he made no more comments on the matter and they went back to practice. With each minute that ticked by, she felt her excitement rise, thinking how happy Jack would be to see her. The last picture she had of him in her mind was at the hotel, looking miserable in his worn grey button down, black trousers, and his hands in his pocket. A stubborn lock of brown hair falling into his eyes the color of caramel.

She sighed to herself and nearly missed her cue. The director, so angry with everyone's preoccupation, excused them all early.

Her and Nina headed back to the hotel in silence. The moment they stepped off the elevator at their floor, however, David was waiting for Nina looking just a touch anxious.

"David? What is wrong?" Nina asked, brows furrowing as she immediate went to him. He cast Natalia a look and she immediately understood; quickly, she turned from them and headed to her room.

Just as she unlocked the door, she glanced up as he said low words to Nina and then dipped his head down to kiss her. Natalia paused, stunned to see David make the first move after Nina told her she initiated their first two kisses, but she was less stun to see the brunette melt against him.

It was disconcerting to see the prudish, cold Nina melt for a man. Natalia left them to their kissing, her mind immediately going to Jack's kisses and the way it felt to have his large, calloused hands on her body. She shivered at the memory before hurrying to her wash room to scrub off her sweat from practice and to prepare for her meet up with her own handsome man.

 **A/N: It's so short and it took so long! I'm sorry, half way through the semester has put me behind and Spot's bothering me about a new story that I'm still playing around with. But, I hope you all enjoyed this and I'll try to update faster! Thank you for being patient, for reviewing, and reading! Drop a review if you have the time! Happy Easter to those who celebrate it, xoxo!**

 **Truly,**

 **Joker is Poker with a J~**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

" _I want you, desperately,_

 _Whether we are a match made in heaven_

 _Or a beautiful disaster_

 _Just waiting to happen."_

 _-Beautiful disaster,_ Beau Taplin

Despite the hang over Monday, Jack walked Hazel to school and then headed to work. He'd been working for a week straight and she moped about not getting any time with him and he felt guilt claw at him. If Natalia didn't show up tonight, he'd be missing precious time with his daughter and he worried about Hazel being angry with him. So much so, he ran his hand through his hair a dozen times before he got to his work.

Carlos was already there, contently humming to himself as he looked over a file and sipped his coffee, looking more at peace than Jack ever remembered him being.

"Marriage looks good on ya, Carlos." Jack commented, hanging his coat on the rack, "Congratulations."

The skip trace actually smiled sincerely, "Thank you. Now, down to business." At once, he shifted gears, smile dropping as he informed Jack the day's schedule, "I have a meeting later with a client that's extremely top secret. So much so, we're meeting up away from the office. I'll fill you in on it all, but I'll need you to stay here and man the office."

"What about the Teleshova case?" Jack asked because stalking ballerinas was usually where Carlos was during the day.

He waved it away, "I'm not worried about them at practice. They've never been accosted there and Nina will be with David tonight at dinner. My gut is telling me she's the target, so Natalia should be fine if she stays at the hotel."

Jack nodded, but didn't comment because he knew if he argued, Carlos might find out about his tie to Natalia and he wanted to be assigned to watch her even if she didn't show up this evening. There was something about her that drew him like a moth to a flame.

"Awright, so you want me to look over anythin' specific while I'm twiddling my fingahs here?" He asked with a half-smile.

Carlos glanced at the files on his desk and then opened a drawer, "It's busy work, mostly, but here are some old cases from the police department. Make notes-on a separate page, please-and leave them on the top inside the folder for me to go over." He handed the stack of bulging folders to Jack and the he took them with a raised eyebrow at the nice layer of dust.

"The police department?" Jack asked, curious. He knew Carlos had a contact, but couldn't quite believe they'd give him old cases.

The Spaniard flashed him a bemused smile, "The bulls aren't really worried about a few old cases, they can barely handle the current ones. Finish these and if no one walks in, you can leave early enough to get Hazel from school." He paused, looking thoughtful, "And take tomorrow off. I haven't given you a day off since you started."

Jack liked happily-married-Carlos, the promise of leaving early spurring him on his note taking and he was even so eager to accomplish his goal that he worked right through lunch. When he finished the last file and saw that it nearing the time Hazel got out of school, he locked up and made his way there, waving to Mrs. Mclean who was waiting for them as she always did.

"Nancy, ya look ravishing taday." He told her, smiling as her cheeks flushed at his compliment.

"Jack, what a wonderful surprise. Hazel will be excited to see you." Her light, brown sugar eyes danced as she spoke to him. When Vivian and Mush got married in June, Nancy imbibed on a little too much wine and she'd told Jack she had a soft spot for single parents, which was another reason she'd gravitated towards Vivian and Wesley. "How is the new job going?"

He'd grown a soft spot for the older woman, too, especially since it was her idea to take Hazel Monday nights so he could 'get out there and get the girl a mother'. He hadn't entirely agreed with her, being content with just him and Hazel, but he'd taken up her offer, anyway. "Goin' really good. I like it. Equal parts office work and street work, which I like." She beamed at his words and he hesitated in asking her, "I know I'm here to pick up Hazel, but is it awright if we keep her Monday night sleepovah? I…uh, kinda have a date."

Jack wasn't really ready for her sudden reaction, clapping her hands and squealing like a woman of twenty rather than the early forties that she actually was, "Oh, Jack! That's wonderful! Tell me all about her. The kids won't be out for another ten minutes!"

Running a hand through his hair, he felt uneasy, like talking about Natalia would jinx her coming this evening, "Well, she's not actually all that sure since I gotta kid so I'd like it if ya didn't say anything to anyone until I can convince her."

That sobered Nancy and she stepped back and smoothed her dark, peppered hair, "Of course, no woman should ever enter into an established family without great thought. Alex, the sweetheart, took great pains in securing a close bond with Wesley before asking for Vivian's hand. Wes was already calling him papa by then."

Jack imagined Natalia taking Hazel with her to the Met, showing her the art, teaching her ballet…he shook his head to erase the images. It was too soon, too much to hope for when he was unsure of what she would decide. "She's a little skittish. I want her ta give me a chance befoah I bring her inta Hazel's life."

Nancy was nodding, a small smile hovering around her lips, "You're a good man, Jack."

He chuckled, "Ya the only one who thinks so, Nancy."

But, she shook her head, "That's not true. Whoever you were before Hazel, you're not that person anymore. I'm not saying everyone changes, certainly not always for the best, but you've matured from what Alex has told me."

Smiling, he shoved his hands in his pockets and looked towards the school, "I'm tryin'." Was all he could think to say. He'd always had confidence, an ego as big as he was, but since Hazel it'd gotten continually smaller. How could he be a big man, swaggering around devil-may-care like he had as a newsie, when he had a child to think about?

"That's all you can do." Nancy told him, patting his arm lightly just as the front doors opened and kids started to pour out in droves.

Jack searched the crowd for Hazel, a smile pulling across his face as he saw her holding hands with Wesley as they descended the stairs, chattering at the boy and not paying attention as Wesley sought Nancy. The little boy saw Jack and he smiled as he interrupted Hazel to tell him who was there.

Immediately, she swung her head up to meet Jack's gaze and she dropped Wes' hand to sprint full speed towards Jack. He caught her easily as she flung herself at him and he laughed as she hugged him tightly, "Daddy!" She exclaimed in his ear.

He squeezed her tightly to him, realizing how much he'd missed her, "Hey, kiddo." He murmured, "I got tomorrow off. Wanna play hookey from school?"

"Yes!" She shouted in excitement, squirming in his arms to be put down and then proceeding to dance around him as Wesley caught up and shyly greeted Jack. "Hi, Uncle Jack."

Jack mussed his hair, "Wes, how's it rollin'?" He asked, narrowing his eyes on the boy, "You makin' sure no one's pickin' on Hazel?"

Wesley puffed out his chest, "Yes, sir."

To which Hazel scoffed, "I can take care of myself." Causing Jack to smile at his little independent girl.

"'Course you can, Haz. But, it's good to have a little back up. Want a piggy back ride?" He took her little school bag and hoisted her up onto his back. "Ya still got ya sleep ovah tonight, but I'll pick you up first thing in the morning."

He could all but hear her pouting as she said, "We can't start hanging out tonight?"

"I gotta meet up with a friend tonight. If they don't show up, I'll come back and get you." He promised.

It was quiet between the four of them for a minute or two and then Hazel asked, quite suddenly, "Just a _friend_ , right Daddy?" The emphasis, how close it hit to the truth, surprised him, as did the underlying note of vulnerability. Something was bothering Hazel and he didn't really have time to find out what it was.

"Yes, Haz, just a friend." Jack murmured to her, casting a look over to Nancy who was looking at him with an expression that blatantly spoke, _for now._ He ignored it as they neared Mush and Vivian's house, the brick townhome nestled and nearly identical to the long row of houses that stretched down the block. Nancy led the way up the front steps and unlocked the door and ushered them all in.

Putting Hazel down, Jack went over to the couch and crashed on it, grunting when Hazel jumped on top of him, giggling and sitting on his stomach like a queen on her thrown as Wesley went to grab his box of crayons. The little boy loved coloring and the walls of the sitting room were lined with drawings that everyone in the house had done at one time or another. It made their house extra homey.

"I'll start on dinner. Mush should be home in about an hour and Vivian a little bit before that." Nancy told Jack, heading for the kitchen.

Which left Jack with two seven-year-olds staring at him expectantly. "What, I gotta entahtain the two a you?" He asked them.

"Yeah." They said in unison, giggling when he groaned and began to roll off the couch, causing Hazel to jump off or fall, and then he laid on the floor and pulled over a few crayons and a piece of paper. The two kids followed suit and they began to color as Jack asked them what they were learning in school.

Vivian came home about a half hour into their coloring and Mush not too long after that, just as Nancy predicted. Jack watched as Mush rubbed Viv's feet and asked her about her day, and he turned his head to catch Hazel watching them closely as well. Their eyes met and he made a face like he was going to be sick and Hazel giggled and scooted over closer to him.

He put down his crayons and watched her color for a while, her eyebrows knit in deep concentration, picking the right colors and sighing heavily when it wasn't the exact shade she had in mind. Finally, she sighed and looked at him, "What?"

Chuckling, he ruffled her hair, "Nothin'. Ya just really inta it. It's cute."

She stuck her tongue out at him, but put down her crayons and snuggled up to him, "Do you haveta leave?" Her words were morose, her eyes going to the clock on the mantle, as though she knew he was leaving soon.

Guilt washed over him and he looked around to make sure no one was paying them any real attention before he told her low and seriously, "Yeah, kiddo, but ya know I'd nevah leave ya foah good, right?"

She avoided his eyes, "I know. I just don't want you to leave me like mommy did."

He tipped her chin up with his finger, "I ain't gonna get sick. I lived on the streets and survived. No lousy pneumonia is taking me." He played tough to show her he meant it, and she giggled lightly when he pretended to box away any sickness. But, there was still a strange sadness behind her eyes and he pulled her into a hug, "I promise, Hazel. I ain't leavin' you all alone. I'd nevah do that."

She snuggled against his shoulder and sighed, "I believe you, daddy."

He ate dinner with the kids and Nancy since it was Monday night and Viv and Mush always went to the Benjamin, then bid them good night, giving Nancy a crooked smile when she wished him good luck; he knew Vivian and Mush would ask her why she did it the moment he left the house. Giving Hazel one more tight hug, he left and headed back to his apartment to freshen up before making his way to Irving Hall.

Irving Hall was crowded most nights and tonight was no exception. Men smoking cigars mingled in front, the music from the dancers spilling out from the doors that were constantly being used by the people coming and going. Jack knew he was early, but he wanted to be here, waiting, if she came. He couldn't stand the thought of her showing up and wondering if he'd changed his mind.

Leaning against the brick wall of the front of the building, he lit a cigarette to calm his nerves and let his eyes wander around the crowd, hoping he'd see her before she saw him. A light drizzle began and he asked a man close by for the time. She would be here any moment or she wasn't coming, he decided, just as a carriage pulled up in front of the hall.

A familiar man stepped out, his two-colored eyes looking bored as he cast them around until settling on Jack. He recognized him as Nikolai, Natalia's friend who didn't really seem interested in her, but who brought Jack's hackles up just a bit as he remembered his arm around her shoulders, comforting her.

The man, just about the same height as Jack, walked towards him and eyed him, before saying roughly, "Natalia is in the carriage." He jerked his head towards it and Jack felt a thrill straighten his spine as he looked between it and the man in front of him.

"Uh, thanks." Jack said, moving to step around him.

But, the man caught his arm and met his gaze steadily, "Treat her respectfully, or I bury you."

He couldn't stop the quirk of his eyebrow, but the threat was sincere and he nodded his head sharply before shaking off the man's hold and taking long strides to the carriage. "Natalia." He said with relief as he opened the door and she was sitting there, her gray eyes wide, leaning forward in expectation. She was achingly lovely with her blonde hair, very pale in color compared to Hazel's dark, golden locks, piled on top of her head in tiny braids. The dress she wore was a dark, navy blue with intricate, white lace along the hem at her neck and wrists.

"Hi, Jack." The way she said his name, sighing it with her own relief as her shoulders relaxed immediately put him at ease as he got inside, "I'm sorry, I sent Nikolai because it was raining and I wasn't sure you'd be he-"

He cut her off, pressing his mouth to hers and bringing her as close to him as possible, which was easy in the small space, his whole body humming as she melted against him and moaned softly. He pulled away, "I don't care, as long as ya here to give me a chance." He whispered, as though the dark, safety of the carriage required them to be quiet and sincere.

"I was going to say let's try this for real, without the sex, but being here with you now…" She trailed off, pulling his lips back down to hers and arching up against him. He felt her shiver beneath his hands as he ran them along her shoulders and down to her waist, where he wrapped his arms around her. They were interrupted, however, by the carriage driver as he hollered down about where they wanted to go. "The Benjamin, Nina is busy at dinner with David." Her voice was husky with desire and the command in her words made him grin.

Nodding, he leaned out the window to call up their destination, but as soon as the carriage lurched forward, Natalia was pulling him back towards her. The heat, the chemistry, the attraction from the week before immediately flooded back and they pawed at each other as though they'd been apart for years instead of days.

"Jack, wait." Natalia murmured, pushing him away, "We need to work a few things out."

The haze of desire lifted just a bit and he pulled back to search her face, "Awright, let's work it out." He hadn't been this determined to make something work since he'd gotten word of Hazel and just like then, he felt a shift in his world. As though things were falling into place as they never did when he was younger. He'd always been searching for love and acceptance in any small gesture, rather than waiting for the Big Events to come barreling into his life like Hazel's sudden orphan status or Natalia's seduction.

Natalia was just gazing at him, her lovely eyes searching his face, as one of her hands ran through his hair, "I want to give you a chance but…I'm not ready, yet, to meet your little girl." She spoke the words softly, a hesitation and vulnerability there as she gazed at him. "Is that awful of me? Do you still want to give me a chance?"

He was nodding, answering the second question as he murmured, "Ya not awful. I'll give you as much time as you need, just let me know when ya ready."

She sighed, "Alright, how would you like to start getting to know each other?" She asked, excitedly.

Jack smiled, "Ask me anythin', I'm an open book foah ya, sweets." He settled onto the seat of the carriage and pulled her over to lean against him, taking the time to run his fingers down the soft, silk of the dress she wore. Lightly, he kissed her forehead as she made a 'hmmming' noise as she decided what to ask him.

"I can't decide." She finally muttered, "There's too much and I am not sure where to start."

He chuckled, enjoying her thick, Russian accent, "Well, ya the only one who knows how I really got this scar."

Natalia half turned to look at his face, her stormy eyes trailing along the scar, "What did you tell other people?" Her voice was pitched lower, as though it was a secret or like she was readying to laugh at whatever he told her.

He squinted into the darkness as he tried to remember which lies he'd told, "Uh, I think I told Race I got it prize fighting and Mush thinks I wrestled a grizzly bear. Blink thinks it's from a lover scorned." Jack laughed with Natalia, "Who's not too far off." He winked at her.

The carriage stopped and he got out and helped her down, her tiny boots clicking on the cobblestone as she held fast to his hand and smiled up at him, "In Russia, they do prize fights with bears."

"Ya messin' with me, Malakhov." He countered, as she led him to the elevator, tossing him a smile over her shoulder. Jack was all but struck dumb by how utterly captivating she was. Running a hand through his hair as she wrapped her arms around his waist and the doors shut with a ding, he tried to play it cool even as he realized that he was already a goner.

 **A/N: So. Much. Fluff. I've gotten a few cavities writing everything. But, I hope you all are enjoying! Thank yous to WordyAF, my wonderful guest reviewer, and bexlynne! Let me know your thoughts on my happy, smutty extroverts in a review.**

 **Truly,**

 **Joker is Poker with a J~**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

" _I am not the first person you loved.  
You are not the first person I looked at  
with a mouthful of forevers. We  
have both known loss like the sharp edges  
of a knife. We have both lived with lips  
more scar tissue than skin. Our love came  
unannounced in the middle of the night.  
Our love came when we'd given up  
on asking love to come. I think  
that has to be part  
of its miracle…" _

- _Mouthful of Forevers_ , Clementine Von Radics

* * *

 _ **November 6th, 1907**_

Every second Natalia spent with Jack Kelly was like a thrill ride; her heart beat uncomfortably fast and she was short on breath from the moment they touched each other until just after he left. The night they decided to give it a shot was just the beginning of the constant happy flutter in her stomach when she was with him, when she merely thought of him and the possibility of their future.

He'd stayed until she had to get up and get ready for practice, walking with her and Nina, who didn't seem surprised in the least, until he had to go his separate way. Despite the lack of a good night's rest, Natalia felt lighter than air and she floated through the days in a haze of happiness. Until the crash of her high, which came towards the end of the week and she realized how long the days were in between their short time together.

Dragging her feet home from practice with a few of the other ballerinas, Natalia sighed morosely as a light flurry of snow fell from the overcast sky. "Talia, dear, what is wrong?" Ana asked in Russian. Most of the girls did not know English and did not seem incline to learn it, which was something Nina always took advantage of. She was the one who'd taught Natalia English and it was as much because Natalia wanted to learn it as it was a way to talk around the other girls without them understanding. Especially when it came to Ana, who was Nina's understudy.

Natalia shrugged, never interested in giving Ana anything she could use as ammunition, "Just tired, Ana."

"Have you gone out on the town, yet? Some of the girls and I went to a little dinner party last Thursday with some rich, handsome men. My, do American men appreciate the ballet." Ana twittered away, unaware that Natalia couldn't give less of a damn.

Which was a new, strange thing for Natalia because she'd always enjoyed dinner parties with rich, adoring men before. But, the thought of spending time with gross, pawing men who only wanted one thing and who were pampered and spoiled no longer held the draw for her. None of them compared to her Jack, with his scar that made him look dangerous and tough, and his rough hands that spoke of years of hard labor. It got her hot just thinking about it.

Ana was still chatting, "One of the men was asking about the Good Fairy. Said he thought you were the most talented dancer. Told me to bring you to one of their dinner parties. They're having another one next Tuesday."

Natalia felt sick at the thought of those rich men talking about her, wanting her to come to their parties so they could buy her meaningless jewelry in the hopes they could get her into bed and then brag about it to their friends. Yet, she used to do those things without much care before coming here. It was strange that she already felt so different and she'd only been here a few weeks, "I'll let you know, Ana. Nikolai and I have been to a few places that are quite interesting." She finally said, wishing the dishwater blonde would shut up already.

The mention of Natalia's male best friend caused Ana to sneer and hurry away to catch up to one of the other girls, making Natalia sigh in relief. Sometimes, it helped being friends with the company's black sheep. Nina inspired jealousy and scorn, the mention of Nikolai always brought a weird reaction, partial fear for a reason Natalia never really understood, and distrust. As though the fact he didn't want anything to do with any of them made him a freak.

Natalia shrugged it off and walked alone the rest of the way to the hotel, too wrapped up in her own thoughts to see that the group of ballerinas had slowed their walk to giggle and whisper about something ahead of them-directly in front of the hotel.

"What is it?" She asked Dina, too short to see over the other girls' heads.

Dina was sighing, "Mysterious, tall, man in front of the hotel. _Gorgeous_."

Natalia rolled her eyes, pushing through the crowd to go past whoever they were gawking at, but froze as her eyes fell on the familiar man leaning against the stone, one leg bent with the flat of his boot against the wall, his arms folded as his eyes stared at something across the street.

"Jack!" She exclaimed, her heart speeding up as he tore his gaze from whatever he was looking at and swung around looking for her just as she all but launched herself at him.

He had only enough time to unfold his arms and catch her as she crashed into him, "Heya, sweets. Fancy seein' you here." His voice was deep and she reveled in his nickname for her for a split second before she brought his mouth down to hers. He chuckled against her lips before groaning and deepening it, one of his hands tangling in her hair and the other moving south to squeeze her rump for a second before moving it to a more appropriate spot.

She broke the kiss to beam up at him, "What are you doing here?" She asked, a little shyly as the girls passed by, mouths agape at the flagrant display.

Jack shrugged easily, his whiskey eyes never leaving hers, "Missed you."

The simple, two words melted everything inside of her and she leaned into him to soak up as much of him as she could, "How long do I have you for?" She questioned further, not wanting to waste a minute of their time together when it was so precious to begin with.

He squinted his eyes as he thought about it, "I think I can spare a couplah hours. Wanna get some food-hey!" His exclamation came as she pulled him towards the hotel, intent on an entirely different activity than food, but he pulled her to a stop, "Hey, Nat, are ya gonna always only keep me locked up in ya room? Dontcha wanna go out on the town?"

Natalia stopped to gaze up at him, her eyes taking in the couple days' worth of scruff on his face, on the sharp chiseled line of his jaw, and the scar that traced down his cheek. "I've explored the city. I haven't explored you enough." She murmured, her voice a touch husky as she cupped his cheek in her hand.

His eyes hooded at her words, desire lighting like a warm flame and causing him to give her a hot once over that send licks of excitement up and down her spine. His jaw set with determination, he reached up and grabbed her hand from his cheek and pulled her into the lobby and straight across to the elevator, completely ignoring Race's hello as they passed the front desk.

Once more, Natalia found herself cuddled up against Jack after an amazing bout of hide the pickle and she sighed contently as she skimmed her hand over his chest, "What was Chicago like?" She asked, remembering that he'd lived there for five years.

He scoffed a little at the question, "Awful. New York without the class." He paused, and what he said next pulled at the strings of her heart "And without friends or family. It was being alone all the time and no one giving two shits."

She sat up and leaned over him, "It hurts my heart to hear how lonely you were." Lightly, she brushed a lock of his hair from his forehead, "I'm glad you came back."

"Me too, sweets." He told her, running a hand through her hair, "I think living alone so long in Chicago really did a number on me. And then I think how it woulda been if I'd gone all the way to Santa Fe. Race'd nevah come that far ta get me. I ain't worth it, but to imagine being stranded out there with no one…I realized I had things good here. Maybe not with the ladies," He winked at her on that comment, "But, with friend's things were awright."

"And things would improve once the right lady came in to the picture." Natalia told him, giving him a wink that made him laugh.

"Have ya evah winked before?" He asked.

Natalia poked him in the side, "No." She muttered, causing him to laugh, "We don't wink in Russia. We say exactly what we mean."

"Gimme another wink." Jack kissed her hand and looked at her expectantly.

When she did it this time, he laughed so hard she rolled off of his chest from the shaking, "I'm never winking at you again, Jack Kelly." She told him firmly.

His laughter turned into a groan as he looked at the clock on the nightstand, "It's late, sweets. I gotta go get Hazel." He leaned towards her, "Can I still have a kiss?"

She eyed him before wrapping her arms around his shoulders and bringing his lips down for a deep kiss that she hoped conveyed how much she would miss him, "Monday?" She asked, meeting his eyes as she leaned her forehead against his.

He nipped her bottom lip and sighed, "Monday." He pressed her hand to his heart, "Counting the heartbeats till I see you next."

Natalia Malakhov melted at those words, pulling him into a tight hug before letting him go to so he could toss on his clothes that were strewn over the floor, "Carlos is going to be putting me undercover for an assignment." He told her as he got dressed, "I'm basically workin' for the police ta get intel on this richy-rich politician that they can't get evidence on. It's pretty excitin' stuff."

She pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them, setting her chin on top and watching him avidly, "That sounds dangerous." She commented, her stomach rolling a bit with nerves for him.

He paused and gazed at her, "It could be, if he finds out I'm undercover. So, don't say nothin' to no one. Promise?"

"I promise. The last thing I want to do is put you in danger." She replied as he came over and kissed her forehead.

"I'll miss ya."

"I'll miss you, too."

When Jack was gone, Natalia felt a wave of sadness hit her that she had to wait so long to see him again. She laid back on the bed and then turned over to hang her head off the side in a way that looked uncomfortable but that felt strangely relaxing as she moped. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted something on the ground that hadn't been there earlier.

Rolling off the bed with less grace than you'd expect from a ballerina, Natalia reached for the small notepad and opened it up. Scribbled lines of sweet words flowed over the pages, some clearly a part of the same poem, others just a few words. " _You're the first person I never thought of leaving_ " or " _hazel was just a word I didn't think about until I met you_ ".

She realized as she read each page that this belonged to Jack. She'd seen him holding it at the Met, scribbling in it, but she'd been angry and he'd tucked it away before she could notice anything else about it. It must have fallen out of the pocket of his trousers, and here she was getting a glimpse into his mind through his poetry. The beginning ones were lonely, perhaps written back when he stayed in Chicago, and then they turned to words of his daughter. Musings on Hazel, moments they shared, and subtle similarities he'd picked up on since they began living together. The way her small, pink cowboy girl hat looked hanging next to his larger, brown one and the shoes lined up below.

The small notepad was nearly full, the last few writings different from the previous ones and when she read a few lines about " _a masterpiece admiring art, aching to be what she didn't know she already was_ " she found her heart climbing into her throat as tears threatened to fall. This must have been what he was writing when he'd seen her at the Met.

He'd written poetry. About her. If she wasn't already half in love with the man, she knew this was a game changer. When she finished reading the poems at least three times, she closed the notepad and curled up in bed with it. She'd have to give it back to him, he'd obviously notice it fell out of his pocket, but until she saw him she wanted to read it until she memorized his words.

 **A/N: Whew, happy, romantic times are hard. Now, I get to start the fun stuff that Jack and Natalia are going to get themselves into! Much love and thanks to my guest reviewer, bexlynne and WordyAF! Leave me a review!**

 **Truly,**

 **Joker is Poker with a J~**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

" _Everyone else isn't you. It turns_

 _Out that's a huge problem for me."_

 _-Things I do When I Cannot Hold You_ , Clementine Von Radics

* * *

 **Saturday November 8** **th** **, 1907**

"Natalia, there's a man at your dressing table." Dina told her the minute she came off the stage after final bows Saturday evening. Her heart leapt at the thought of it being Jack.

"Is it Jack?" She asked Dina, eagerly pushing through the other ballerinas to get to her makeup vanity. She didn't have the luxury of a dressing room like Nina did, there wasn't enough for everyone, so she had to share space with the other girls. That made fighting through the crowded backstage a tad tough when you were eager to see someone.

Dina raised a slim eyebrow as she pushed along beside her, "The guy in front of the hotel that groped you in public?" She giggled, "No, you have another admirer." That slowed Natalia's steps considerably, the disappointment written blatantly on her face for Dina to see. "Oh, but he's still cute…if you like slightly older men."

Natalia sighed and parted with Dina, whose dressing table was the opposite direction, and wished suddenly that she'd just gone to Nina's dressing room to wipe off her makeup and change. She didn't want to deal with a fan. She didn't usually garner the following that Nina did, but some men preferred her over her tall, gorgeous best friend. "Send him on his way." She muttered to herself, plastering a smile on her face as she reached her table and found the man looking at the newspaper clippings tucked into the corners, taking in his high-class clothes, pressed, clean, and professionally tailored.

He turned as her reflection appeared in the mirror and she was surprised to realize that he was, in fact, handsome for a man in his early thirties. His dark, blonde hair was styled, with the top left a bit longer so it fell onto his forehead, and he had a sharp nose and light blue eyes. "Ms. Malakhov." He said, pleasantly, taking in her Good Fairy outfit with an appraising look that at one time would have left her hot and breathless.

Because he was tall and blonde and clearly rich. Exactly her type…before Jack Kelly came along.

Now, she was all but immune to his charm as he held out his hand, "Harold Fielding. I've been an admirer of your dancing since opening night." She politely held out her hand and he brought it up to brush his lips across her knuckles. A few dancers watching them swooned at the gesture.

Natalia easily hid her cringe as she pulled her hand away, "Always wonderful to meet a fan, Mr. Fielding."

"Your accent is even more lovely than I imagined. Please, call me Harold. I do not want to take up much of your time but I wanted to extend a personal invitation to a dinner party I'm sure your friends mentioned. Tuesday evening. I can have carriages brought to the Benjamin for all you." His smile came too easy, like he practiced it often, and even though she spent time with Jack and his own lackadaisical smiles, it left a strange, unnerving tickle in her stomach that she didn't like and that was nothing like the happy flutter Jack left.

The words, the best way she could think to keep this man from getting too chummy and expecting more from her, were out before she really thought them through, "I'll have to make sure my fiancé is alright with that, but it sounds like it will be a lovely evening."

His smile faltered just a touch, but he caught it quickly, "I didn't realize you were engaged." He murmured, blue eyes falling to her hands that lacked any evidence to her words.

She forced the smile to look sheepish, "I don't wear the ring on stage, Mr. Fielding. The Good Fairy isn't engaged."

They both laughed at her joke and he reached up and brushed a hand along his jawline, "Well, I'd like to extend the invitation to your fiancé as well. I'd like to meet the man that secured such a talented woman as you."

Natalia smiled indulgently, "If he's available, we will both be there."

Harold Fielding nodded, still smiling pleasantly, and gave her a slight bow as he looked around at the ballerinas that were cleaning off their heavy makeup, laughing and joking in Russian, a few commenting on Harold's physique that only Natalia understood, "I bid you good night then, Ms. Malakhov, and let me just say that I'm disheartened to hear you have a fiancé but that I look forward to spending Tuesday evening with you both."

"Thank you, Mr. Fielding." She gritted out, wishing he would leave already.

He reached out for her hand and managed to snag it before she realized he was going for it. He kissed it one last time, his blue eyes meeting hers as he insisted, "Please call me Harold." He waved to the flowers on her dressing table, ones he'd been blocking, but were obviously from him as he presented them, "They're not half as beautiful as you up close."

And then he slipped away. Just like that.

The other girls quickly closed in, firing out rapid questions about her new admirer; none of which Natalia could answer. She wondered if she should find out more information on Harold Fielding, wondered if any of the Benjamin Hotel workers would know anything about him.

But, her best bet would be asking Jack on Monday night. Especially since her little lie could come back to bite her if she asked Nikolai to pretend to be her fiancé but then got caught with Jack. She wondered if Jack would be perturbed if she asked him to step in as her fake fiancé.

Sighing at the dilemma she'd created for herself, she pushed away from the girls to find Nikolai for advice before she talked to Jack.

* * *

 **Monday November 10** **th** **, 1907**

"This is my bodyguard?" The snide question caused Jack to raise an eyebrow at the man in front of him. He was around the same height as Jack, but his soft hands showed his upper-class upbringing and the lack of ever having done a hard day's labor. "The scar adds a touch of intimidation." He added, as an afterthought, clasping his hands behind him and scanning Jack up and down like he was purchasing a racehorse. His blue eyes were chilling, more icy and lacking empathy than David's eyes ever could look, "Why can't I hire you?" He asked Carlos.

Jack rolled his eyes as the rich man looked away from him to eye up Carlos Fuentes. Carlos was leaning against the wall, quiet as he perused the goods-which was Jack-but he straightened and met the man's gaze flatly as he replied, "This is the only man I have available for the job. Take it or leave it."

The blonde man turned back to Jack as he debated the situation, "Alright, Tomás, since I am told you have the best men, I'll take this one."

It took everything in Jack to bite back the scoff as Harold Fielding chose his new bodyguard like he was picking out chinaware for a summer house. Or like he was choosing which prostitute he wanted for the evening, leaving Jack feeling dirtier than he ever did before. "The name's Jack." Jack spoke up, putting out a hand to shake with his new, hopefully very temporary employer.

Harold sneered at the hand and looked at it as though Jack was a leper, not even moving to shake it as he muttered, "Pleasure. You'll start now. We need to get across town."

Carlos cleared his throat, quelling Jack's look of alarm with a quick narrowing of the eyes as he spoke up, "Actually, Mr. Fielding, I have Jack on another assignment this evening. He'll be at your place of resident first thing tomorrow morning." Jack hid his relief, glad he'd finally caved and told Carlos that he and Natalia were seeing each other and that Mondays were the only evenings he really got the time to spend with her. Especially now that he'd be undercover, his schedule for spending time with both of his girls was looking rather bleak.

He wondered if the good money was even worth not getting to spend time with Hazel or Natalia.

Harold did not look happy at Carlos' statement and he glared as he reconsidered a moment before finally settling on, "I want fifty off the quote, then."

Inclining his head, Carlos acquiesced, "Deal."

The man shook the Spaniard's hand before leaving the warehouse with just the one bodyguard, the door banging shut with an ominous tone. Briefly, Jack wondered what happened to bodyguard number two for Harold to come looking for 'Tomás Fuentes' the man who deals in bodyguards.

Jack and Carlos shared a look and they waited another full minute before Jack broke the silence, "Fuck, I already hate that guy." Jack muttered, pushing his hands into his pockets. "How long I gotta work with that walking ass hat?" Suddenly, going undercover did not sound very exciting. Not when the man you were spying on strutted around like he'd just purchased Long Island.

"Till we get evidence. Or a lead." Carlos sighed, flicking at a strand of obsidian hair from his forehead, "Anything that can pinpoint where he came from, what his aim is going into politics, and any potential corruption."

Shaking his head, Jack looked around the warehouse, "I hope I can get it done quick, but that man didn't seem ta fall ta my charm like most people."

Carlos snorted, his mouth pulling up in the corner, "He's a snake who recognizes a charmer. He won't trust you easily. You'll need to earn it. Which could be hard, he seemed hell bent on disliking you." Carlos' blue eyes flitted over Jack, "We'll need to get you a new wardrobe. Nicer clothes, like the one his bodyguard is wearing, will go a long way. He's a man who only respects wealth…and if you have something he doesn't." The Spaniard looked thoughtful, "I'll help you as much as I can but I won't be there for it all."

Jack sighed, wishing he was with Natalia already, "Are we done here? I gotta hot tip ta get to tonight."

Rolling his eyes at a line Race would use, Carlos waved him away, "Have fun with Malakhov. I'll get you at least nice clothes for tomorrow, then we'll need to find a day to get clothes tailored specifically for you."

Batting his eyelashes, Jack grinned at Carlos, "A day out shoppin' with you, Fuentes, I can't wait."

"Make me roll my eyes anymore, Kelly, they'll get stuck in the back of my head." The dusky-skinned man muttered in reply, leading the way out of the building and lifting his hand up to wave farewell to Jack who nodded and turned the opposite way.

It was lucky that he and David made up, since now he could come and go as he pleased when he met up with Natalia. But, that didn't mean David didn't look exasperated to see him in his lobby. They weren't quite the best friends they once were, but it looked like they were on the right track as Jack greeted him.

"Monday night dinner?" He asked David.

David nodded, "Are you and Natalia joining us? I can add two more chairs to the table."

Jack smiled at the question, happy to have proof that David truly forgave him, "Nah, Natalia and I only get Monday evenings together and we, uh, don't want to spend the time eating dinner." He winked at David who looked less than impressed.

"A simple 'no' would have sufficed." David replied just as the elevator door dinged open and he was distracted by Nina walking out in a lovely mauve colored gown.

"Such a prude, Dave. Have a good night." Jack told him, moving away from the desk and passing Nina as she looked between the two, "Hey, Nina. Good luck with that puritan."

She chuckled at his words, "At least he's _my_ puritan." She purred, blue eyes softening when she gazed at David.

Who looked dazed and dumbfounded by her comment, clearly not expecting her to be so forward and blunt with her reply. Jack smothered his own laugh as he got on the elevator and told the bellhop which floor, riding it impatiently to the top before hurrying off to knock on Natalia's door.

He felt every nerve in his body settle to a humming calm when she opened the door and gazed up at him with eyes that twinkled, making them look more silver than grey. "Jack." Every time she said his name, it was in this breathy, whisper that set his heart beating erratically.

He leaned a hand on the door frame, "Ya look too nice foah a place like this." He told her, recalling the words he'd first spoken to her two weeks ago.

Eyes hooding, she gave the most adorable little growl as she grabbed him by his shirt front and dragged him into the room, slamming the door shut behind him. They didn't make it to the bedroom, but rather very near the door to her bedroom. Afterwards, both breathing heavily and limbs tangled on top of the soft, navy blue carpeting, they had time to talk.

Just as he was regaling his tale of how he got a front row seat to feeling like a harlot, Natalia sat up and turned to him, "Harold Fielding?" She squeaked, eyes wide, "Your working for Harold Fielding?" She clarified, looking slightly alarmed.

He sat up, too, "Yeah? So? How do you know the name?" He questioned, feeling a sense of foreboding the way she grabbed on the name of a man he disliked the instant he met him.

Looking away from him, she cleared her throat, "He showed up at my makeup table after the show Saturday to invite me to a dinner party tomorrow evening. He's a…fan of mine."

Jack didn't like the idea of Natalia getting pursued by a hoity-toity, rich fellow, but he couldn't really condemn her for the man having good taste in ballerinas, "Well, are ya going?" He asked, swallowing hard and attempting not to let jealousy get to him.

She peeked at him through her eyelashes, "I told him I had to make sure my fiancé was fine with it. He then sorta called my bluff and told me to invite him and…well, I talked to Nikolai and he thought it wasn't a good idea to pretend to be my fiancé when I'm seeing you and so, now I'm not sure what to do."

He stared at her a moment, dumbfounded and probably looking similar to how David looked earlier at Nina's words, "Why would ya tell him you're engaged?" He asked, voice a touch higher than he meant it to be.

Natalia dropped her head in her hands, "It was a reaction! Every woman's done it at some point to get a man to leave her alone. Saying not interested doesn't work, you need to 'belong' to someone else for them to stop bothering you and sometimes not even that helps!" She was so upset, he reached out and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his chest and stroking her hair.

"Shh. It's awright. I'll just tell him ya my fiancé." He told her, thinking back on what Carlos was saying about Harold, "He likes ya, yeah? He'll respect the fact that I convinced ya to marry me." He chuckled, "Wonder what the hell you see in me."

Natalia moved in his arms so she could cup his cheeks with her small, delicate hands and gaze at him, "You would do that for me?"

Jack pressed his forehead to hers, "'Course I would. Ya my girl, Natalia." Which earned him a hot kiss, blanking his mind from all thoughts of Harold Fielding and his undercover job starting tomorrow.

 **A/N: I start summer class tomorrow so I'm not sure how quick my updates will be until I see the amount of coursework I'll have to do for it. But, I hope you enjoyed this little turn of events! Thank you to my reviewers, followers, and favorit-ers! Happy everyone is enjoying and never hesitate to drop me a comment on what you think!**

 **Truly,**

 **Joker is Poker with a J~**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

" _We cling to music, to poems, to quotes, to writing, to art_

 _Because we desperately do not want to be alone. We_

 _Want to know we aren't going crazy and someone else out there_

 _Knows exactly how you're feeling. We want someone_

 _To explain the things we can't."_

-Unknown

Natalia got a message from Jack in the afternoon with two simple words, ' _He knows.'_ She knew he meant Fielding now knew that Jack was her fiancé, but the foreboding words still made her giggle, drawing Nikolai's attention and bringing him to her side as Nina danced, keeping the director's attention from the two friends as they whispered to each other.

"Natalia, dear, you're being a bad ballerina giggling over here." He informed her, dipping his head down to catch what she was reading.

She grinned up at her tall friend, "Jack told Fielding we were engaged. Now, I don't have to worry about being pursued by him!"

Nikolai raised the eyebrow over his mostly blue eye, "But, we're still going to the fancy party tonight, aren't we?"

"Were you invited?" She inquired. Nikolai was the only one she'd told about Jack's secret assignment, trusting the fact that he rarely gave anything away to begin with and that he hated talking to just about anyone but her. But, she didn't think Fielding would invite a male ballerina, mostly because his dinner party guests would probably all be males looking to mingle with ballerinas.

Her friend gave a smug smirk that pulled up only one corner of his mouth, revealing a dimple that was rarely seen given his infrequent smiles, "Would I pass up mingling with a group of rich men, Natalia?" He purred lowly.

Her brows drew together, "Well, no…"

His face went back to his perfected bored look, "So, I wrangled an invite from an acquaintance. I'll escort you since your man is on the job."

Natalia's grin spread back across her face as she enjoyed the sound of Jack being called her man. Knowing Fielding knew she was taken and that Nikolai would be with her, the thought of her evening no longer turned her stomach. She actually felt a bolt of excitement at the thought of fine dining and seeing Jack. Even if every other man proved to be a bore, Nikolai was always there to gossip with about whatever happened.

* * *

"Wow." Natalia murmured as their carriage halted in front of the grand manor. She wasn't exactly sure where in the city they were, but the street was lined with houses that were twenty times larger than the small apartment she'd grown up in St. Petersburg. Maybe even bigger.

"I've been asking around. Your Fielding has made his family _very_ rich. They were maybe middle class until the mid-1890s when he began to use family contacts to import exotic animals for the Bronx Zoo." Nikolai informed her as he stepped out of the carriage and helped her out. "You look ravishing, dear." He added, casting his mismatched eyes over her appreciatively.

She glanced down at the green silk gown with the black lace overlay, her free hand smoothing it out as they walked towards the front door as another carriage pulled up behind them. She heard the giggles and quick, Russian conversation that proceeded more ballerinas, "Thank you. You seemed to know what I would wear." She looked pointedly at his black suit that he'd paired with an emerald green shirt instead of the traditional white.

His eyes glimmered with humor that he disallowed to show along his mouth as he looked at her, "I'm going to match the most beautiful woman here and stand out while doing it." He replied, halting her gently before the stairs up to the huge house, allowing the ballerinas to pass ahead of them.

"Natalia, dear, there's one thing you are forgetting before we go in there." Nikolai told her quietly as the door opened for the girls and they both looked up as the brightness and noise filtered out to them for just a fleeting moment before the door shut and they fell back into darkness. She didn't say anything, just waited with a cocked eyebrow until he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, wooden box. "It was my mothers'." He continued, almost shyly, as he opened it and though it was dark, the ring caught what little light there was and reflected it, causing her to gasp.

"Oh, Nikolai, it's beautiful." It was a little more extravagant than she'd like in a real ring, but eye-catching nonetheless. It was a marquise ring with a center green stone and diamonds clustered around it on a gold band. "But, what's it for?" She asked, blinking up at him.

He chuckled as he took the ring out of the box and reached for her left hand, sliding the ring firmly into place on her third finger, "You're fake engaged, Natalia, you need a fake engagement ring."

She stared down at the ring, her mouth agape at the heavy weight of it on her finger, "Nikolai, _no._ This is your mother's ring! What if I lose it?" Her gaze sharpened on his face as he looked at her almost tenderly.

"You'll take care of it, Natalia. Now, let's go take this party by storm." He waved away her protests and winked before pulling her forward, up the stairs, and to the front door where he smirked as he used the elegant iron knocker to signal their arrival.

Natalia smiled at him as she turned her attention to the party that the opening door was revealing, the brightness of the large foyer dazzling her for a minute as she tried to absorb the grand chandelier, the finely dressed men, and the miles of elegant marble that seemed a part of every aspect of the house. As her eyes adjusted to the light, they skimmed over the doorman, the guests, and even their host and Jack as they were immediately drawn to the vividly painted art that hung on the far wall, right between the two staircases that curved down on either side. The painting was one as familiar to her as her own heartbeat and she was awestruck at finding it here, in this home, "Nikolai." She gasped, completely distracted, "It's Ondine."

Nikolai raised his dark eyebrow, gaze briefly looking at the art without much interest before drawing her into the house and leading her to Fielding even as she kept her eyes trained on her favorite painting. The first one she'd ever fallen in love with, the painting she'd never seen in real life except in a book of English Paintings her father acquired while buying a mix of boxes to sell in his secondhand shop. "Mr. Fielding," Nikolai greeted, pinching Natalia's arm that was looped through his, "Thank you so much for the invite this evening. I'm Nikolai Kostova and you already know Natalia?"

She finally pulled her gaze from the painting, smiling easily at Harold Fielding before reaching her hand out for him to kiss as he did on Saturday, "Pleasure to see you again, Mr. Fielding." She told him, eyes flickering briefly to Jack and nearly doing a double take as she saw how well-dressed he looked in his suit. Though it wasn't as tailored-to-fit as the other men's', he stilled looked dangerous and debonair, with his brown hair neatly combed back in the style that was common of the upper class. He gave her a slow wink that brought a wide smile as she added, "I hadn't realized on Saturday that you would be hiring my fiancé."

She was still slightly distracted by the painting and Jack that she almost missed the way Fielding's gaze got chilly at the mention of his new bodyguard. "Yes, Mr. Knight here told me this afternoon. I find it interesting that the two of you are already engaged after such a short time of knowing each other."

Ignoring the fake last name, and the jab at the validity of their engagement, Natalia decided to appear like the bubbly blonde so many assumed her to be when they first met her, "Our time together has been short but it's been spectacular and we didn't want to waste any more time." Jack had mentioned he'd been afraid his charm wouldn't work on this man, but Natalia knew hers would, "I apologize, Mr. Fielding, but I must know…I've been dazzled by that Waterhouse painting between the stairs. Is it an original?"

Her subject change and charm was the key to softening up the rich, blonde man before her. "You are familiar with John William Waterhouse, Ms. Malakhov?" Fielding's blue eyes grew warm as his interest renewed and he gazed at her in a new light, "I always say you can judge the quality of a woman if she knows her art."

She felt the blush rise up her neck as she gazed back longingly, "I like art better than dancing most days." She admitted, honestly, her voice a bit wistful.

"Come, I'll show you it to you up close." He insisted, offering his arm as Nikolai passed her an unreadable look.

Eager to see it up close, she gave her friend a smile and took Fielding's offered arm, "Thank you Nikolai, but I must insist upon seeing it this instant." She gave him a cheeky smile as she all but pulled Fielding towards the painting. Nikolai, however, wasn't to be brushed off so easy, simply choosing to clasp his hands behind his back and follow behind her a pace or two.

When Fielding stopped in front of the painting, she could feel his blue gaze on her as she stared up in utter awe. "Ondine's were said to be water nymphs." He murmured to her as she got a close-up view of the texture of the oil paint used.

"They lack human souls." She informed him, reaching out to touch it but stopping her hand inches before doing so and grinning at him, "They must marry human men to achieve immortality."

Fielding cast a dark look back at Jack, who was listening intently, "If the man should be unfaithful, he dies."

Natalia laughed, the sound cutting through the chatter and noise, "Do not tease, Mr. Fielding. You'll scare off Mr. Knight and then where will I be?"

Harold Fielding looked as though he knew exactly what he wanted to say, but he held his tongue, "Do not fret, dear, unless you're admitting being a water nymph?"

She gave a half-smile, "If I could swim, perhaps I could pass as one. My father saw this painting in a book, though, and he told me he regretted not naming me Ondine since I'm the only child who inherited my mother's blonde hair."

A voice cut between them before Fielding could reply, "My lady, I heard your laughter from across the room and knew I had to join the group that was having the most fun." They all turned to the smiling, auburn haired man who inclined his head to Fielding before his green-eyed gaze caught Jack just behind him, "Jack! What a pleasant surprise!" He stepped forward to shake Jack's hand fervently, "Race told me you got a new job, wasn't aware it was babysitting." He winked at Fielding, who seemed to be grinding his teeth.

"Renwick, glad you could make it." Fielding said, shaking the man's hand and looking just a touch disgusted that it was after he'd shaken Jack's. "This here is Natalia Malakhov and Nikolai Kostova, two of Russia's finest ballerinas. And this is Scott Renwick, who has had more drinks poured on him by women than any other male in this room." That caused a chuckle from all of them, even Scott, who took the jab congenially. Natalia immediately liked his good-naturedness, finding him entertaining and wholesome.

And not bad on the eyes, she thought, as Scott Renwick's green eyes glittered with humor at Fielding's anecdote as he reached for Natalia's hand and laid a chaste kiss across the back of it, "Wonderful to meet you, Natalia." He turned to her friend, shaking Nikolai's hand, his gaze sharpening as he took in the tall, muscular ballerina as he greeted him, "Nikolai, what a unique combination of heterochromia."

She gave Nikolai a side glance, gauging his reaction to the red-head before them and was surprised to see something like wonder on Nikolai's usually bored face, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Renwick." He rumbled, eyes slowly trailing down Scott's lean build before flicking back up, "Excuse me, I need a refreshment. Would you like anything, love?" Nikolai inquired, turning to her.

Lightly fanning herself, she passed him a quick smile, "Yes, please, Nikolai. Champagne. Thank you, _dobroserd_." _Dear heart_.

Scott looked to Jack and Fielding, "I'll show you where they are." He told Nikolai, nodding to both men before leading Nikolai through the crowded mansion.

"Love?" Fielding asked, casting a side-eyed glance to Jack, "You and Nikolai seem quite close." He didn't phrase it as a question.

Natalia chuckled and answered it like one anyway, "We get that a lot. Nikolai and I have been friends since we were ten years old. He's like a big brother to me." She turned back to the painting and sighed wistfully, "I meant to see the original of Ondine while we were in London, but the Waterhouse collection in the Society of British Artists was closed the entire time we were there."

Fielding gazed at the painting, too, "My father saw the original while visiting London in 1880 and told me of it. I commissioned another artist to make me a copy. Although it's not the original, it's pretty close to it." His pride shone blatantly on his face as his chest puffed out. It irritated Natalia when in the past she would have swooned over his confidence and obvious ego. It was strange that everything she used to like in a man now seemed to sour in her stomach. She looked briefly to Jack and caught the uneasiness hiding in his hazel eyes.

She smiled to him, hoping he could see she wished to assure him but then she looked back to the painting and her eyes caught the artists' signature. Her eyebrows furrowed as she suddenly remembered why the Waterhouse collection was closed. She bit her lip to keep her thoughts to herself, gaze returning once more to Jack's hazel eyes, "Jack, how is it you know Mr. Renwick?" She asked, "He mentioned Race?" Race was a name she was only familiar with because of Nina, but despite the fact that he worked at the Benjamin, Natalia couldn't recall a face along with the name.

Jack's eyes flickered to Fielding before he spoke for the first time that night, "Race is his brother-in-law. He married Scott's twin sister, Clara."

Fielding looked at Jack, a new gleam apparent in his blue eyes, "You know the hotel worker Ms. Renwick married?"

"Mrs. Higgins now, but yeah. Known him and the owner for years." Jack's voice wasn't rude, but clipped as though he didn't want to give the man too much information.

"David Jacobs?" Fielding asked, curiously, "That's a hard man to know. He rarely shows up to the events he's invited to and he doesn't seem inclined to rub elbows with the sort of people a man of his status should." The reproof and blatant arrogance in his words made Jack and Natalia share a glance.

Jack seemed to visibly bite back a scathing retort, "I don't exactly have any influence over who Dave chooses to rub elbows with, sir." It looked like he tried very hard to make his voice sound meek and yielding, like a hired bodyguard should sound, but he didn't quite hit the mark.

"Oh!" Natalia exclaimed, sensing she needed to quickly change the direction of their conversation and spying another painting she was familiar with, conveniently located near Nikolai and Scott, "Mr. Fielding, is that an Aivazovsky?"

She succeeded in drawing his attention from Jack and he followed her gaze to the scenic landscape over near the table lined with drinks, "Good eye, Ms. Malakhov." He purred, pulling her across the room, Jack a few steps behind like the dutiful employee he was hired to be.

Her eyes caught Nikolai's from where he was near the painting, staying in place as he watched them move towards him and seeming to read the slightly panicked look on her face. He quirked a dark eyebrow at her, a bit of amusement hiding in his two-toned eyes. She watched as Scott Renwick said something to her friend and was surprised by the red flush that crawled up his neck, and the smile that bloomed across his face nearly made her trip on their way to them.

"Here's your champagne." Nikolai said, ignoring Scott to hand her the crystal flute full of the bubbling, pink liquid.

"Thank you." She told him, nearly downing it in one gulp. She felt Harold Fielding's eyes on her, crystal blues hard like cut glass but alight with the flame of desire. It unnerved her rather than setting her own desire on fire and she looked at Jack from the corner of her eye.

He was watching Fielding with his own set of hard eyes, though his hazel ones were anything but cold. She could tell Fielding's interest in her was putting him on edge, though, and she wondered if there was a way to bow out of this evening early. But, before she could follow through on that idea, dinner was announced and they moved with the crowd to the dining room.

Fielding took the initiative to seat her and waved Jack over to the corner for the meal, knowingly putting him in his place as he began to ask Natalia about her interest in art. She found herself falling back onto her old self, the one pre-Jack, pre-New York, and she let that party girl partially take control. Enough to be charming and engaging, but she knew she was missing the flirtyness she was known for. Even the other ballerinas noticed, whispering to each other in Russian because none of the men understood them and knowing Natalia wouldn't call them out and make a scene.

Even though many of the ballerinas couldn't speak English, they managed to laugh and pretend they understood the men, often struggling with easy English 'yes' and 'no's or the ones close by looking to Natalia for a translation. The dining area was alive with the chatter, laughter, and clinking of utensils on china. Natalia ignored the whispered gossiping, focusing instead on the host who only had eyes for her, and keeping an eye on Nikolai to her left, who was sitting across from Scott Renwick; the auburn-haired man engaging with her friend far more than the women on either side of him.

It became fairly clear why women often threw drinks at poor Mr. Renwick. He was charming to everyone but the ladies around him. The two ballerinas looked miffed he wasn't singing them praises or complimenting them. Both ended up turning away from him to talk to the men on their other side, leaving Scott to happily chat at Nikolai, who offered up a few words but let the redhead lead in the conversation.

For the first time in a long time, it looked like Nikolai was actually enjoying himself and Natalia felt a bloom of hope for her friend. If she had to endure this awful evening over and over again for the sake of seeing him almost smile, she knew she would.

Even if it meant she needed to do some serious repairs to her relationship with Jack. As she considered that, she turned her head to glance back at where he stood, leaning casually against the wall, and he met her gaze steadily for a moment. The smile he then gave her looked strained, but he winked slowly and she felt a thrill run up her spine. She blew him a kiss, aware of Fielding's narrowed gaze on her, and giggled when he caught it and placed his hand on his chest.

When she turned back to Fielding and caught the fury in his light eyes, she hoped her little scene hadn't caused Jack his job.

 **A/N: Omg, I'm so sorry guys. This is so late on a number of reasons and mostly because this damn chapter didn't want to end and also because I've been side tracked by school and my new Riverdale fic. But, I'm back and WordyAF has been coaching me through everything because she's glorious and thank you, thank you all for being patient and sticking with me! I have about 9 days before my final semester begins and I'm hoping to update as much as I can in that time! Okay, cutting long authors note off. Love and thanks to everyone reviewing, reading, favoriting, and following! Love you all! 3 I hope this long chapter made up for it a tiny bit!**

 **Truly,**

 **Joker is Poker with a J~**


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